Wizard Detective Saga: Part One
by Paladinium
Summary: Inspired by iisandyii Love bond and Angel series. AU post voldy, Hermione is an LAPD detective, Harry's an auror placed in LAPD. Two different persons from different worlds, Rated For Violence, language, and death COMPLETED
1. Prologue: Profiles

**_Disclaimer_**: (Death Glare) I don't own Harry potter or any of the known characters, don't laugh.

**_A/N:_** This is my first fiction, so take it easy on me. And some of the characters names are invented, so any similarities with real names or conflict with other fictions are not intended, enjoy.

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I.D. Profiles: **_

**Harry James Potter**

_Alias:_ The Boy-Who-Lived, The Chose One, The Saviour of the Wizard World

_Age:_ 25

_Nationality:_ UK (Wales)

_Martial Status:_ Single.

_Physical Description:_ Unruly hair, strong jaw, emerald-green piercing eyes, athlete body, 6'0", 145 lbs.

_Personality:_ Brave, kind hearted, defender of the innocent, muggle lover.

_Talents:_ Wizard, supernatural reflexes, ultimate wandless magic, DADA encyclopedia, parselmouth, unaffected by Avada Kedavra

_Weak Points:_ Strongly effected by dementors, socially naïve.

_Bogart:_ Dementor.

_Patronus:_ Stag.

_Job:_ Senior Auror (declined Head of Auror Office position).

_Residence:_ Godric's Hollow, Potters' Estate (UK), Dancing Swan Hotel Apartment 16 (LA, USA)

_Extracurricular Activities:_ Quiditch practice, management of family business (as the youngest billionaire in the Wizard World, and the last of the Potters … Yet)

_Friends:_ Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Fred & George Weasley, Ginny Weasley.

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**Hermione Jane Granger: **

_Alias:_ Miss Sherlock Holmes, A.I.

_Age:_ 24

_Nationality:_ UK (England).

_Martial Status:_ Single.

_Physical Description:_ Curvaceous body, curly brown hair, hazel eyes, natural beauty, full lips, 5'5", 115 lbs.

_Personality:_ Smart, determined, stubborn, work devotion.

_Talents:_ High IQ (175), good use of imagination (useful in her job), socially interactive (Also useful).

_Weak Points:_ Absolute scientific (Do not believe in magical codswallop … yet).

_Bogart:_ None (She's not a witch).

_Patronus:_ Same as above.

_Job:_ Scotland Yard investigator (UK, former), LAPD new transfer detective (USA).

_Residence:_ Grangers' House (UK), Xmas Night Hotel Apartment 55 (LA, USA).

_Extracurricular Activities:_ Kick Boxing, reading, internet surfing.

_Friends:_ Ron Weasley,Pierce McLaden, Ginny Weasley.

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**Ronald Arthur Weasley:**

_Alias:_ None.

_Age:_ 26

_Nationality:_ UK (England … I think).

_Martial Status:_ Engaged (Lavender Brown).

_Physical Description:_ Extraordinary height, red hair, blue eyes, 6'5", 170 lbs.

_Personality:_ Light-hearted, kind, stubborn, loyal friend.

_Talents:_ expert in muggle artifact (believe that!),fast reflexes, adaptable to any situation, wandless magic.

_Weak Points:_ Easily frightened, somewhat jealous of Harry's wealth, easily angered (by Malfoy of course).

_Bogart:_ Giant Spider.

_Patronus:_ Leopard.

_Job:_ Senior Auror, Ministry of Magic mole in muggle world.

_Residence:_ The Burrow (UK), Xmas Night Hotel Apartment 53 (LA, USA)

_Extracurricular Activities:_ Quiditch practice, muggle artifacts experiments (Especially the fellyton … Errr … Telephone).

_Friends:_ Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown,Pierce Mcladen, Draco Malfoy (oh really!).

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**Draco Lucius Malfoy:**

_Alias:_ The Professor.

_Age:_ 25

_Natioality:_ UK (England)

_Martial Status:_ Single.

_Physical Description:_ Blond hair with long bangs, sapphire-blue cold eyes, pale skin, 5'11", 135 lbs.

_Personality:_ Poker face, sneerful, loyal friend, kind hearted, full work devotion.

_Talents:_ Wizard, high potion skills, wandless magic, potions encyclopedia

_Weak Points:_ dark arts expert (but trusted anyway).

_Bogart:_ Hippogriff.

_Patronus:_ Cobra.

_Job:_ Potions Master, Head of Potions and Research Laboratory.

_Residence:_ Malfoy Estate (UK).

_Extracurricular Activities:_ Management of family business

_Friends:_ Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Fred & George Weasley.

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**Ginevra Molly Weasley:**

_Alias:_ None

_Age:_ 23

_Nationality:_ UK (England).

_Martial Status:_ Single.

_Physical Description:_ Curvaceous body, silky red hair, light blue eyes, 5'4", 100 lbs.

_Personality:_ Smart, determined, stubborn, work devotion.

_Talents:_ Charmes expert, talented healer, socially interactive.

_Weak Points:_ Has a crush on harry (for now …)

_Bogart:_ Giant Snake

_Patronus:_ Dove.

_Job:_ St. Mungos Healer (UK), Downtown General Hospital; ER Depart. (USA).

_Residence:_ The Burrow (UK), Xmas Night Hotel Apartment 53 (LA, USA)

_Extracurricular Activities:_ Charms Practice, reading, social interaction.

Friends: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Alicia Adams,Pierce McLaden.

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**Pierce McLaden:**

_Alias:_ The Wizard (not a real one), The Mainframe.

_Age:_ 29

_Nationality:_ USA

_Martial Status:_ Married (Lydia McLaden); one daughter (sherry).

_Physical Description:_ Six-packs, short dark hair, gray eyes, 6'2", 160 lbs.

_Personality:_ Smart, carefree, playful (but with short leash), family devotion.

_Talents:_ High IQ (160), magical fingers (For computers), socially interactive

_Weak Points:_ Sometimes mix work with fun (lead him to trouble)

_Bogart:_ None.

_Patronus:_ None.

_Job:_ Elite Hacker (Former), LAPD Detective.

_Residence:_ 5th St Downtown (I'm not a US resident so don't blow on me).

_Extracurricular Activities:_ Hacking (Still), family picnic, Gun Collector.

_Friends:_ Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley.

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A/N:_** So, This is my prologue, and you now know almost everything about the main characters. Now, all what i need is a strong start, bye. 

R&R please


	2. Falling Papers

**_Disclaimer:_** I Don't Own Harry Potter's characters or spells, I wish I do

**_A/N:_** This chapter contains articles from Daily Prophet and Los Angeles Times (I don't know if there is ever on, if there is thenI disclaim ownership), telling the story of the demise of Voldemort (Shudder), and the rise of a new leader

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Daily Prophet (Special Edition) Jan, 5th 2003 Page One

_**THE PROPHECY FULFILLED:**_

_**YOU-KNOW-WHO DEFEATED**_

Auror teams, lead by senior auror Harry Potter, known as the Boy-Who-Lived, and senior auror Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter's Best Mate and childhood friend, defeated you-know-who and the death eaters and dementors after a blood-thirsty battle that took place on the snowy fields of Hogsmade on the 4th of January this year.

Witnesses stated that the snow layer was one and a half meters in height before the final battle occurred, but with the intensity of the battle it has melted to half meter. Everyone was scared to go out and observe the battle, but our brave and well-known reporter Rita Skeeter was there and reported every scene of the final battle (go to page 5 for further details).

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_Daily Prophet (Special Edition) Jan, 5th 2003 Page Five_

_**THE FINAL BATTLE:**_

_**A CLOSE LOOK**_

_By: Rita Skeeter_

The wizarding world can breathe easily after the defeat of You-Know-Who; Harry Potter and his team of aurors encountered the death eaters lead by You-Know-Who in the outskirts of Hogsmade. The weather was the worst ever in the history of Hogsmade; roaring blizzard and cloudy night, and everything was covered with at least one meter of snow. But in the outskirts, the sheer power of the curse-exchange was overwhelming. The snow melted and the aura skyrocketed, even the people of Hogsmade felt the scorch of spells in there homes.

The battle itself was extraordinary, casualties from both sides: On the aurors side Shacklebolt, Parks, Aubrey have fallen; and Tonks, Longbottom injured. On the death eaters side Crabe, Goyle, McNair, and Lestrange died; and malfoy was injured badly.

After half an hour of cruse-exchange; everybody suddenly came to a halt and and watched as a fierce duel was taking place between the two strongest wizards of this century, a battle that hasn't occurred since the days of Dumbledore and Grindelwald: On the lightside; Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the master of white and offensive magic, with greenish-blue warm aura emitting from him. On the darkside; You-Know-Who, the Darklord, the tamer of Black Magic, with cold reddish-black aura. Both of there auras were equal to the sum of both aurors' and death eaters'.

With absolve shields up; the spell exchange began suddenly with enormous numbers of curses hexes, and jinxes flying by. Even the unforgivables (Which was for the second time approved for use by the ministry) were used. Both the duelers were apparating with outstanding speed and with no sound at all. Potter was caught by surprise with Avada Kadavra directed at him, but he deflected back to the caster by a mere touch of his hand (We didn't know that he was immune to the killing curse), and the darklord barely escaped it.

With a sudden move, Potter caught You-Know-Who with his guard down and shot an unknown spell which caused the darklord to melt slowly and disgustingly; with his fingers falling and green fumes rising from his body. He soon exploded and his spirit began hovering, but it was caught by Potter and soon it vanished.

The death eaters began to escape after the demise of their master, many escaped but a few got caught by an anti-aparition ward raised by auror Weasley, amid the prisoners was Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange.

After the battle, I interviewed some of the aurors, the first was Harry Potter himself:

**Me:** _Mr. Potter, if you please …_

**HP:** _Not now Rita, we've just fini ..._

**Me:** _What is your feeling after the end of You-Know-Who's reign of terror_

**HP:** _What an odd question, of course I'm relieved that the dark tosser, but who said that the reign of terror has ended!_

**Me:** _But You-Know-Who has been destr …_

**HP:** _Firstly, do NOT fear the name of the dead, his name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, muggle-born, his name "You-Know-Who", do not flinch, was made by scrambling his true name. Secondly, there are still death eaters amongst us who can start wrecking havoc everything we are trying to build._

**Me:** _So, what are your next plan._

**HP:** _Catch some death eaters, interrogate them, then feed them to death._

**Me:** _Pretty straightforward as usual Mr. Potter._

**HP:** _You know me Rita. Now if you please, I have some dead to report and some wounded to move._

**Me:** _Don't let me stand in your way Mr. Potter._

**HP:** _Aren't you always …_

(Mr. Potter said the name of You-Know-Who, but it was edited for the sake of our reviwers).

After that I tried to interview auror Weasley, but it was a wee bit concise for my satisfaction, as follows:

**Me:** _Mr. Weasley if you please._

**RW:** _Piss off Rita._

**Me:** _I beg your pardon._

**RW:** _I said "Piss off", as you see we do not have the luxury of time or space for one of your "Manipulated" interviews._

**Me:** _My interviews are not manipulated._

**RW:** _It is. Now piss off, I said it thrice. Next time I'll hex you to kingdom come._

**Me:** _Okay, okay. See you in a better mood then Mr. Weasley._

After this outstanding battle and "collective" interviews a question is left unanswered.

Is it really the end of the darklord? Or he has another method of returning?

I can only say that the wizarding world cannot stand another darklord on the loose …

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_Daily Prophet Jan, 10th 2003 Page One_

_**A SOURCE IS LOST:**_

_**LUCIUS MALFOY IS KILLED**_

Imprisoned death eater lucius malfoy was found dead yesterday's morning in his cell in Askaban Prison (which is no longer guarder by dementors). Head warden Williams denied any further information. But said that the prisoners were treated fairly due to the request by the ministry for further interrogation.

It seems though that the free death eaters are trying to cut any ropes leading to their new headquarters. Which lead to believe that they are still active under a new leadership, and are trying, as Mr. Potter said early, to "Wreck Havoc" amongst the innocent people of the wizarding world.

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_Daily Prophet Feb, 20th 2005 Page One_

_**A NEW THREAT EMERGED**_

_**MARCUS FLINT SPOTTED**_

Marcus Flint, the youngest death eater ever, was seen by eye-witnesses looming in Hogsmade and Diagon Alley with other followers of the former darklord and was "Wrecking Havoc" in some places before being chased by an auror patrol to an abandoned building. Were he has escaped by floo network before being caught. The patrol confirmed the story and denied to give the destination of the floo network there, which was closed and sealed immediately by Auror Department preventing the Prophet's floo experts to investigate it for further information.

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_Los Angeles Times feb, 25th 2005Page One_

_**A DRUG LORD ON THE RUN**_

_**MUERTE ESCAPES CUSTODY**_

Drug lord Pueblo Martinez, has escaped from custody last night after a break-in by the cartel, the alrams mysteriously didn't sound.

45 years old Pueblo Martinez, AKA "Muerte" which means "Death" in Spanish, is the big fish and sole leader of the Columbia Cartel, the biggest smuggler of cocaine from Columbia to USA, and also known to own the biggest farms of cocaine in Columbia.

Detective Hermione Granger stated that he will be caught in no time due to the activeness of LAPD search teams all around Los Angeles.

_"He will be caught and given his chores, that bloody wanker"_ Detective granger stated

As you see, some strong words has been said here revealing the fury of detective granger. And we all know that her fury is not without cause, her former partner detective Joseph Crane has been assassinated upon the orders of the drug lord himself because he was working undercover and sent information to LAPD about main smuggling routes of the cartel which caused massive hindering of cocaine smuggling.

We all hope that his death will not go in vain, and our eyes and ears with detective granger waiting for her to say "Mission Accomplished".

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A/N:_** This is the first chapter, I hope you liked it. As you see, you can guess what happened and what will happen from this point. 

R&R Please


	3. Relocation

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Harry Potter or any other character of J.K. Rowling. She is lucky isn't she?

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Relocation

Harry reached the door of the minister's office with a smile on his face, why not when he has vanquished his arch-nemesis two years ago and he is living a peaceful life. But what really made his day even wonderful is that Bellatrix was executed, the look on her face when she was presented to the veil was priceless. His grin widened as he opened the door, his best friend and fellow auror Ron Weasley was at the office entrance too.

"Hey Ron, what's up" Harry said cheerfully to his best mate.

"Oi Harry, have you been summoned too mate?" Ron answered with more cheerful manner, he looked so happy to see Harry.

"Do you know what Minister Bones wants with us?" Harry asked seriously this time.

"Not a clue, mate. Maybe another patrol rescheduling or …" before he continues, the minister's secretary came out of the office to her desk and greeted them.

"Ah, senior aurors Potter and Weasley. Minister Bones is waiting for you inside"

"Thanks Carrie, I really hope she is not upset with anything" Harry nervously.

"On the contrary, Mr. Potter, she seems to be in a delighted mood to day" Carrie said with expressionless face.

As they entered the office, Ron whispered with a shudder to Harry. "She really freaks me out with that poker face of hers; I always feel that she will skin me alive in cold blood". Harry smiled but didn't reply.

As soon as they entered they stood formally with silence as they saw that minister Bones was deep in a conversation over the floo network with a strange person, he does speak English as they overheard a word or two from the conversation, but he didn't sound to be British.

As the conversation came to the end the minister turned to them and greeted them.

"Well, good afternoon senior aurors and be at ease please, no need for military formalities in this office as it is not a military headquarters as you see. Now for our business here, I must first congratulate both of you on your discovery in the investigation of the illegal floo route, and as you just saw I just had a word with the Minister of Magic of America where the floo route ended; he asked me yesterday for some expert 'Death Trackers' to handle the situation there, and of course I have no one better than you two in this field. Now, before you two leave I must give you some instruction, firstly you will be out of the country for months or even years, so prepare yourselves for a long stay in the United States. Secondly, you will report to Minister Malone directly, and if you need any intelligence regarding the situation up here just contact The Professor, because he will be in charge of the investigation from this point forward. Any question now"

Ron grimaced slightly as he asked, "Why isn't Director Tonks in charge of the investigation, I believe that the laboratory has no business in field activities".

Minister Bones glanced over her spectacles and answered, "Actually, Director Tonks personally asked me to put The Professor in charge, due to the fact that she is busy with other matters that need her attention. Also he asked me that he needs Mr. Potter on the double for some new patencies he wants to show him. Oh, and if you please Mr. Weasley; Director of Muggle Artifacts Research Department wants to have a word with you"

"Fa… I mean Director Arthur! But what does he want from me?" Ron asked in confusion.

"Honestly, I don't want to know; but I have a feeling that it is something you will find useful in your journey, and that concludes our meeting" Minister Bones said in a dismissal note.

Both of them took off hastily to their destinations. Harry reached the lab and as he was about to knock the door sprung open. He took notice of the over-activity of the lab which is unusual for a step-by-step working department. He made his way to the central office and knocked the door. The door opened slightly then widely and he saw the pale-skinned, tall, blonde man in a lab robe.

"Potter" Said the blonde man with stone face

"Malfoy" Harry replied the greeting with a sly smile.

"About time you showed up, I was about to give up hope and leave the ministry for the crime scene" Said Malfoy with his eyes fixed on Harry's

"Oh, not to worry; the crime scene can wait a few minutes, and it can't escape as the death eaters do, can it!" Harry said in a carefree way causing Malfoy to scowl.

"At any rate I wanted to show you a couple of new charms that we have discovered three months ago, and it took that amount of time to be perfected"

Malfoy drew Harry's full attention, whom face changed suddenly from slyness to seriousness and asked "And what kind of charm that would take that lot of time!"

"The first one is a vacuum charm that is when applied to a space, will cause a shift of all gases from this space creating a 'vacuum' just like the outer space, and it will also prevent any matter exchange with the outside, so no matter with enter or exit the vacuum sphere, this can be useful any exploding curse or creature like blast-ended skrewts. The second charm is gas-selection charm; it is the same as the vacuum charm but instead of creating a vacuum it will create a globe of a specific gas, the gas name must be muttered after the spell incantation; we really still can't figure the use of this spell but we are trying to complete our research about it …"

"Can't we cast an oxygen globe on ourselves for underwater activities" Harry said with a gleam in his eyes

Malfoy thought for a second then answered "I think this can be done, but first I must warn you that a hundred percent oxygen concentration will hinder your ability to breath; so we need further research and hope that we might perfect it to be dual or triple or even quadruple gas-selection charm, because you need carbon dioxide in small percentage to promote the breathing mechanism. Now I want you to take this; it is a copy of the notes on these charms, incantations and all, read them thoroughly then report to me"

Harry took the notes and took a first glance; the contents are the incantations plus the needed wand waving. He read them thoroughly then searched for Malfoy, he found him in the test room where new spells are tested.

The room is similar to the Room of Requirements in Hogwarts, except it is larger in size. He is now standing in an empty room besides a weird device in the center of the room, the walls are covered with Hungarian Horntail skin for maximum protection, and the room itself is under a constant silencing charm to prevent any disturbance to the research team next door.

"I took the liberty of preparing the test room for you to test the charms; this weird device you see here is the latest model of muggle gas detector, it is a hi-tech contraption used to detect any traces of gases in the surrounding atmosphere, and I mean any traces, this machine can detect up to 0.000001 particle per cubic millimeter, with an error pattern of one to million. Anyway, details does not matter here, I want you to cast the vacuum charm on it now"

Harry drew his wand swiftly and muttered the incantation "Vacuus", and a semi-transparent sphere appeared around the detector, which now began rambling silently then stopped and the globe disappeared.

"As you see this spell also act as a silencing charm because sound cannot travel in vaccum" Malfoy stated as he paced toward the detector and read the results, "Oxygen: 0, Nitrogen: 0, Hydrogen: 0, etc…"

"Your intent is the key factor in maintaining the charm for longer time, the more you intend to keep it up the more it will be sustained. Now for the other charm…" Malfoy stepped away from the detector.

"Gasus Oxygus" and an azure-blue globe appeared around the detector, "Oxygen: 100" Malfoy stated.

"Gasus Nitrus" and a dark-blue globe appeared, "Nitrogen: 100"

The test has gone on for some time until Malfoy beckoned Harry out of the room. Then said "There is a list of every gas-selection incantation in the notes, I doubt you will need all of them but better safe than sorry. Now I assume you have some questions regarding the charms"

Harry jumped into questions quickly "What would happen if someone was trapped inside the vacuum globe, how much time you need to perfect the gas-selection charm, can they be cast wandlessly and wordlessly"

Malfoy took a deep breath, then answered slowly "For your first question the effect will be similar to someone in the outer space will no protection at all, he or she will explode. It is the same of the exploding acid curse you cast on Voldemort except that the effect is due to negative pressure not positive pressure. Secondly I honestly don't know because it depends on the experience of the research team at hand, and unfortunately the testing is rather difficult as you have observed recently, at any rate I will keep you informed of any new updates. Lastly, the method of the casting is merely dependant on the experience and the skill of the caster, and I daresay that you are the best of the best when it comes to spell casting, even that jester of a partner of yours comes in second place …"

"Who's the jester you wanker" Ron came into the lab frowning angrily.

"Well, if it isn't the hippie redhead, I'm still amazed how the auror department could tolerate you" Malfoy's face broke into a wry smile.

"Glass arse" Ron jumped

"At least I can still fell the kicks, unlike you who became a punching bag for every passer-by … Blockhead"

Ron was about to jump again, but Harry stepped in the middle of the conversation, "Now, now chaps … this is not the time or place for another brawl. We will take our leaving for now, Thank you Professor Malfoy" Harry said in a hurry and pushed Ron out of the lab, at this moment Malfoy stopped him.

"Before you go Potter I want to give you this" and he brought a potion vial filled with purple slimy goo. "This is the prototype of the enhanced formula of wound knitting ointment; it has been tested on minor cuts and medium wound and the effects were astounding, the time needed for the ointment to take effect is 10-15 seconds, extraordinary isn't it. The problem is we had not tested it on major wounds and, of course, not yet on muggle volunteers; so don't go wasting the whole vial on wounded muggles without need, we still haven't produced it commercially and the vial you have is merely half of what we produced"

Harry thanked Malfoy and turned to the door.

"And Harry" Malfoy cracked a soft smile and said in a plea-tone he tried to conceal "Avenge my father, will ya'".

Harry turned his head and smiled back "Don't worry Draco", and then exited the lab.

"That bloody wanker, I will have his have his head next time, and don't try to stop me Harry" Ron exclaimed angrily. Harry didn't reply, Draco's plea kept ringing in his mind, and he had a flashback of a specific incident two years ago.

Harry remembered the expression on Draco's face when he learned about his father's murder, it was raging with fury and he vowed revenge for his father's soul. He applied for an auror position within the ministry which, for his surprise, was accepted readily. He thought that his request will be denied considering his family's history with the former dark lord.

He then completed his training in a very short time, due to the fact that he is a dark arts expert. He then joined the ranks of senior aurors and then the 'Death Trackers', the highest rank amongst senior aurors. He then took part in the capture and extermination of members of Voldemort's inner circle who survived the final battle. And encountered and dueled with other death eaters who, by chance, were his friends and mates from Slytherin House in Hogwarts.

He accidentally got hit with a nasty curse which was no other than 'Sectusempra' curse. But this time it was far much powerful than the time he got hit with it by Harry, it caused him to gash more serious wounds and entered into shock instantly. He was drawn out of battle in an instant by Harry himself, and was placed in Field Healers camp nearby.

After the battle ended, he began to regain consciousness, but has fallen into despair when a healer told him that due to the seriousness of the wounds he cannot participate in any action for a long time which can be months or years. He became angry with himself because he cannot fulfill his vengeance anymore, but he accepted his fate.

He then applied for a position as researcher in the newly opened Potions and Research Department, and his wish has been granted again. He climbed the rank ladder quickly, and was finally appointed head of the whole department, or 'Laboratory' as they call it.

"Earth to Harry, earth to Harry, can you read me" Harry was brought to present with Ron's yelling.

"Yes, I hear you. No need for yowling" Harry said in a disgruntled voice.

Ron stared in confusion then said "As I was saying, father showed me a new model of muggle computer, it was the latest IBM laptop, but the department has enchanted it so the user can surf the internet without any connection at all. This will prevent the user from detection by other users, hackers, or even the internet police. Imagine that, I will be the most invincible hacker in the world"

Ron completed his sentence then laughed loudly. Harry couldn't help but smile, the first time he knew Ron he was totally clueless when it comes to muggle artifacts, but now he is the number one expert in that branch. Ever since his father was appointed Director of Muggle Artifact Research Department he was taken by the sheer beauty of these artifacts and vowed himself to become the team expert in these items, even Harry who was raised in a muggle way never been exposed to such number of items. His aunt and uncle wouldn't let him.

"I think we should bid farewell to our family and friends, because I think we won't set foot on UK for a long time, may be for good" Harry exhaled loudly as he muttered to his mate.

"Your right, but no need to be that blue, I am absolutely sure that Ginny and mother will cry loudly when they see your face, you look like you just came out of a coffin" Harry chuckled sickly for his best mate's statement.

A minute later they were at the Burrow. Molly always insisted that Harry must live with them after he left the Dursleys, because the Burrow was a lot emptier when the twins left for their flat above their shop in Diagon Alley. But Harry didn't want to endanger the family he loves so much, because anywhere he goes, Voldemort and his death eaters attack his that location. Even after Voldemort's demise there were still death eaters running free around the country. But in the last month the cleansing operations has come to an end when the last death eater was captured or fled to America. He accepted Molly's request and became part of the family, a family he has no blood ties to, but he has never known love anywhere except amid them.

"Ron, Harry dear, welcome home. Isn't a bit early for you to come home" Molly exclaimed joyfully and bewilderingly.

"Hi mom, well Harry and I have some news. Well, Harry you say it …" Ron said nervously and looked away from his mother's concerned face.

"Well, actually Molly … We discovered that the last of death eaters whereabouts, they are escaping to the United States" Harry said softly but his nervousness surfaced on his face.

"These are wonderful news my dear, why the long face" Molly exclaimed happy, but couldn't hide her worry.

"We have to track them by ourselves, mom …" Ron said quickly in a more nervous tone, "And it may take years for us to round them all"

"Oh …" Molly said semi-shocked expression, then they hear someone tripping by the kitchen door, it was red-haired young lady with a well-developed body.

"Ginny, I thought you were at work" Ron exclaimed in a shocked voice, but it was not close to the shock in Harry's face, Ginny was tearing as she walked to them.

"Why do you have to go too, you are the last ones in the house and I will be all alone now" She screamed at them with so much anger, and she throw herself on harry with Ron patting hers.

Harry was now fighting a blush as the young lady began to sob loudly on his shoulders. He was never been placed in such awkward situation, even dueling Voldemort was much easier than this, he never had the luxury of time to tend to his social life, and never had a girl to hold his hand, let alone a full-grown young lady with hot body crying on his chest, he never thought of Ginny more than a little sister, and now he realized that this 'sister' has a massive crush on him. He looked to Ron asking for help, be he couldn't met his gaze as he quickly looked to the ceiling avoiding eye contact with Harry. He shifted his gaze to Molly who looked amazed but understanding and soon changed to soft motherly eyes.

Harry then looked onto Ginny, she was really astounding, her body is filled up quite nicely, and in the right places, her face began to mature too, she was no longer the annoying little child she was, but a heartbroken young and fair lady. Harry mentally slapped himself 'she is Ron's little sister and your adopted sister too, do not think of her like that'. When she stopped crying he addressed her with a hoarse voice.

"Ginny, I'm sorry if I angered you, but we weren't informed of this order until this afternoon. I'm sorry again, but in case we don't see each other again I want you to know that I will remember you as the sister I never had …"

He mentally punched himself this time when he realized what he said, he saw another tear appearing in her eye and he wished if the earth swallowed him. He caused her much grief with words and he saw the despair in her eyes, as if she had given up hope on him.

She then stepped back and looked into his eyes, then forced a sickly sad smile on her face, "I will never forget you Harry Potter" she said in a weak voice that he never herd from her.

She then walked to her mother who hugged her fiercely and looked into Harry with an apologetic way.

"Well, I think that we must make our way to our rooms then" Ron said hastily while pushing Harry to the stairs.

"Harry you big dunce, she was in love with you for years, and all what you could say 'I will remember you as a sister', you are a real dimwit, ain't ya'?" Ron stated in a total shell shock.

"You know that I haven't dealt with a girl in my life, let alone a young lady. All what I thought of while in school was to stay alive, I am a social disaster" Harry said and followed with a big sigh.

"Tell me about it" Ron replied, "Anyway, we must pack quickly, our apparition to USA must be within two hours", then he darted toward his room.

Two hours have pasts, and our protagonists were at the International Apparition Zone with Arthur, Molly, Ginny, and the twins bidding them farewell. Molly began to cry loudly, which annoyed Ron even more.

"Now mom, what was that all about, it isn't that we won't return at all" Ron said in a nervous manner.

Harry walked toward Molly and hugged her gently "Good bye … Mother" and Molly began to wail even louder and hugged him fiercely.

He stepped back and joined Ron in the way to the apparition zone.

"How do you feel Harry?" Ron exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know, but I feel that we will not return to England the same" Harry said.

And he never thought that he sounded so right, because destiny is awaiting them on the other side of the world.

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**_A/N:_** And that was the third chapter, it's a bit scientific but I'm a pharmacist after all. I hope you liked it and I'll update as soon as I can. I'm not a shipper at all, but this chapter gave me an idea about H/G story.

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


	4. Crime Scene Investigation

**_Disclaimer:_** Anything belongs to J.K. Rowling I do not own. Anything else, I do.

**_A/N:_** Weeeell ... Sorry for not updating lately, but i had some personal matters that need urgent attention. But why to talk ...Err ...write about this unneeded matter. This is the chapter you all waited ...Enjoy ...

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**Crime Scene Investigation**

It was 6:00 AM, and Hermione woke up on the sound of phone ringing; she stretched lazily on her bed then walked to the phone grumbling.

"Hello" She answered sourly

"Detective Granger, this is Officer Greene. I …" The caller replied

"Paul, I think you have a watch on your wrist, and it will tell you that it is a bit early for banter" Hermione interrupted with irritation.

"I'm really sorry, but the Captain requested your present immediately" Greene answered rapidly then hung up.

"Prick" She said looking to the not-responding phone, and then she made her way to the bathroom and took a quick shower. She had a cup of tea in a hurry and made her way to the police precinct.

Fifteen minutes later, she was standing in front of the precinct. She shot directly to the elevator, and punched the third floor button hard.

"Ouch, thank goodness I'm not in place of this poor button" a voice said slyly behind her.

"Don't start Pierce, I'm not in the mood" Hermione Mumbled slowly.

"Not enough sleep … Herms" Pierce said innocently.

"I said, shut it. And what are you doing here early, have you been called too?" Hermione said

"Well … Unless I like to leave the cozy bed beside my wife to work early, yes. So, do you know what that all about?" he said comically.

"Not a clue" Hermione said dryly

They reached the third floor and paced through the desks to the Captain's office.

"Captain Maronski, sir" Hermione greeted.

"You are late you two. Anyway, one the boys in precinct three has discovered a dead body by an alley in the downtown this morning, they've transferred the case file to us" the Captain stated

"Why do they throw their workload on us, isn't it against the regulations to do so" Pierce stated in an annoyed voice.

"Well … That does mean our detectives are brighter than theirs, and this case is somehow connected to the case you're working on Granger" the Captain said and Hermione got alerted.

"What case?" Pierce asked in confusion.

"She will give you the details while you are on the way to the crime scene, you're both on this case from now on, take the lab car … what are you waiting, an invitation … Go, I've got to revise this profile of the new detective" the Captain dismissed them hastily and gone through some paperwork.

They made their way to the parking lot. And pierce said slyly "Wow … that was something, and I thought you were angry"

Hermione replied "With all the papers he has to fill for the case transfer I was surprised he even saw us … Poor fellow"

"He said new detective, is he another replacement for Joseph" Pierce said cautiously

"I not sure, but I hope he is better than that arse of a detective we got two weeks ago" Hermione said with an angry-sad face.

"Whoa, strong words missy, and I don't blame him noticing you having such curves"

"Pierce" Hermione exclaimed with a blush

"What? I didn't say something wrong princess, you're the dream girl of many boys out there" He said with innocent face.

"You …" she said with angry smile.

"Enough of the chitchat, what is the case he said you're on" Pierce demanded and Hermione shoved him a dossier, "A week ago we found a male dead body in an alley near the 5th street, the cause of death was the explosion of his chest cavity which caused an instant but painful death according to his face expressions …" Hermione said to Pierce, who was eyeing the picture with a disgust look on his face.

"Man, what a poor guy, he must've angered a mobster or somthin', 'cuz only them can do this with their illegal explosive bullet, I'd like to have one myself for my collection" Pierce stated bluntly, Hermione sighed hopelessly and continued "Two days later we found another male dead body with his head missing" Pierce was in a shock, for he saw the picture she is talking about "and we found bits of his brains all over the place"

"That … is disgusting" Pierce said looking at her, then resumed eyeing the pictures "But not abnormal many illegal explosives and explosive bullets can cause this situation, and with many gangs owning them I doubt we can catch the murderer"

"Can you tell me what infernal weapon can cause the head to explode without affecting the chest, or even causing this effect without leaving burning marks or …"

Hermione looked at him intently and continued "Without leaving gunpowder traces"

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Harry poured himself a cup of English tea while waiting for Ron finishing his shower; he began to recall their first meeting with Minister Malone and their mission briefing.

FLASHBACK

_"Welcome to the United States of America" Minister Malone greeted both Ron and Harry in a warm manner; Harry returned the greetings and looked at the wizard who will become their direct superior for while they are here. He was a middle-aged wizard with light-dark complexion average height; he has a warm but tired look on his face, he has gray hair with light-gray goatee that suites his tired look._

_"Since the fall of the Dark Lord and both of our ministries worked mutually to track down the remnants of his supporters, and they seem to regroup here at our soil. As you knew by now, I asked Minister Bones for expert Death Trackers to handle the situation here along side other aurors from different countries" Minister Malone stated while searching in his drawers, he then pulled a thick dossier and opened it then resumed "Now for your mission briefing, you will be located in Los Angeles in a newly-opened Field HQ, your primary objective will be the elimination of the new lead of the death eaters, Marcus Flint, he had caused enough commotion among our society for nearly two years before acclaiming to be the next Dark Lord. We all know that he is not even half powerful as You-Know-Who, but some disturbing news has just come from our moles._

_He tossed a muggle photo in front of Harry "We believe that Flint has allied with a muggle Drug Lord who called himself 'Muerte', which means 'Death' in Spanish, he is your secondary objective to eliminate, this very Drug Lord has just escaped 'Mysteriously' from a muggle maximum security prison, our investigators who disguised as muggle investigators confirmed the involvement of the death eaters in the break-in by finding traces of magic in the prison and the appearance of the Dark Mark above the prison. With Muerte's money and influence along with the death eaters magical powers I fear the worst has yet to come from this unholy alliance"_

_Minister Malone took a deep breath before he continued "As I said before you will not work alone, there are some lists of candidates who either had volunteered, as I case of our Ministry, or were mentioned will good recommendation, as with other Ministries. I have to ask you, Harry Potter, to be the leader of the 'Death Tracker Squad' that you will choose from these lists. Now, any questions" He handled the list to Harry who took it with expressionless face._

_"I have a favor to ask first, my colleague auror Weasely is appointed as my deputy" Malone nodded and said "It's yours"_

_Harry cracked a smile and said "Where do I start"_

END FLASHBACK

"Harry, let's go mate" Ron said loudly drawing him from memories. He then stood up and left the apartment.

"Ya' know, I can't wait to check my new flat. Of course, I have nothing on you Harry, but if I'm gonna work with muggles then they mustn't know who we are or that we know each other" Ron said in sheer excitement

"Whatever you say mate" Harry said with a smile, he was happy that his best mate was over the fact that he is miles away from his family, and he had already made some friends among their auror team.

They reached an abandoned alley then apparated to the alley near the HQ. As soon as they entered the HQ they were greeted by Richard Howards, and Ron was greeted with the special 'American style' greeting.

"What was that all about Howards" Harry asked inquisitively. He was answered in a rush and cool manner "Good news, Harry Potter sir, auror Weasely has been accepted as the new detective in the muggle precinct, although he will work with a part-time schedule only"

"That's good news truly, and the part-time schedule too, he can return to the HQ and inform us with any progress in their side"

Harry they swirled his eyes around the HQ, It was a normal muggle flat but has been protected with Anti-Apparition, Anti-Muggle, and other defensive wards. There are computers and surveillance devices all over the place; there is also a tech-lab desk around the corner. Ron and Richard were the muggle experts, which explain their quick familiarity with each other. Harry couldn't contain his smile when he remembered the sheer joy on both Dick's and Ron's faces when they were given the right to enchant muggle artifacts.

He rolled his eyes back to his team members. Auror Richard Howards was the first to pass the test, his mischief personality along with his muggle artifact experience made Ron to accept him without second thought "He got the Weasleys' blood" Ron justified his choice. The second one was Vladimir Pavlov, Russian first-class auror and the field leader in the days of the Second War in the Russian fronts, most people said that he used to sympathize with the Dark Lord's cause, but stopped his sympathy when his wife and children were killed by the hands of the death eaters, he preferred to eliminate the death eaters on-site rather than capture them, and his knowledge with the Dark Arts along with his sheer power and control of the unforgivables makes him a great asset to any team acquires him. The third member is Sofia Blanc, French auror and metamorphmagus, and a professional healer, she can blend in without being detected, and this can be useful in pursuit of any suspect.

Along with Harry's and Ron's 'Death Trackers' experience, this team is almost perfect. All what they need is a think tank …

"We found the file, sir" Dick exclaimed "Granger, Hermione. 24 years old, Former Scotland Yard investigator, LAPD Detective, now resides in Xmas Night Hotel, Apartment 55" Dick took a breath and continued "IQ: 175, first of her class, graduated with honors, smart, and determined"

"175 … Bloody Hell, if she was a witch she'd be in Ravenclaw, ain't she Harry" Ron blurted, but Harry wasn't listening, he was looking deeply into the photo. Hazel eyes, curly hair, full lips. His heart gave a was racing, he never felt that except when Ginny hugged him in the Burrow, is it … No; he thought to himself, he doesn't have time for this; he is a leader for God's sake. But he can't deny the attraction he feels towards her … "No" he said it loudly this time. "What, don't you agree with me mate?" Ron said in confusion. "No, no, I agree with you, but …" Harry stopped "But what?" Ron incited him "Spill your beans", Harry was fighting a blush, and Ron was lost, then he followed Harry's gaze to the photo and grinned mischievously and whispered "Well, well, Casanova. Just remember who your are before dragging her up to … wherever" Harry now has lost his battle with the blush and jabbed Ron's shoulder with a smile on his face "Shut it, you wanker". Ron then looked to Dick and said "Xmas Night Hotel, isn't it the same hotel I will be in?" Dick answered joyfully "That's not all man, you are her new neighbor, this is the only way you can become friendly enough to gain her trust, ain't it Wes"

Harry regained his composure and directed the attention of the team towards him "Everybody listen, we have a situation here. Marcus Flint appears to be in an alliance with a muggle Drug Lord named 'Muerte', they are both our objectives, they are to be eliminated immediately; this cannot be done with improvising, but with a well structured plan, the death eaters are on a killing spree, three victims have fallen by their hands, and the muggle police are in a state of confusion because they can't detect magic usage, our goal for now is to discover the spell used on the victims and trace it back to its source, this can be done by plotting the area of the crimes and estimate the initial place of their appearance, which can be their HQ, a floo-outlet, or just another abandoned building. Now, Ron, you will be our contact in the muggle world, you will work with Detective Granger and her colleagues. Dick you will be our muggle artifact expert here in the HQ, you will exchange shifts with Ron on his days off, and you are our surveillance expert when 'bug' any encountered death eater with tracking charms and muggle surveillance devices. Sofia, you will be with the crime scene investigators, do not show your real face, always keep your metamorph up. Vlad, you will be guarding the HQ and my link to it, in the near future you will accompany me in the field action when I order to. Everything's clear" They all nodded, and Harry cracked a smile and stated "Now … We have a crime scene to investigate"

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Hermione and Pierce reached the crime scene and flashed their badges "Detectives Granger and McLaden, what do we got" Hermione said in a professional way.

A female investigator answered her immediately "Good morning to you detective, we've got a female victim this time, mid-thirties, average height, guts exploded with unknown weapons, no burns, no gunpowder traces. She appeared to be alive for three to five minutes after the weapon hit, because she had crawled out of this place" a blood stream was leading to a backdoor of a diner. The investigator continued "a blood sample was taken from her body and the blood stream", Hermione interrupted suddenly "Can I have the samples please", the investigator stated "This is against the regulations, police detectives shouldn't handle crime scene …", Hermione interrupted again "Well, my presence here is against the regulations, we can report you to the Ministry of Interiors for tossing your job to us. And what is your name missy", the investigator was shocked as if she was hit by a fast car "I'm … I'm Laura" Hermione stated "Well Laura, this is my rule, I will handle the crime scene investigation by my own equipment and I don't mind if you helped out a little, but I will not allow anyone to slow me down, OK" she looked intently to the young woman who nodded with the shock expression still on his face, then Hermione proceeded to the diner.

"Man that was priceless, she almost was gonna faint" Pierce exclaimed with excitement "I hope I don't cross swords with you darlin'"

Hermione snorted but didn't comment. They both entered the diner and saw the owner there.

"Detective Granger; and you are …" she said looking to a middle-aged Hispanic female witness who seemed to have just been out of a shock.

"Mercedes Lopez, call me Meche"

"Are you feeling alright Meche" Hermione said with true sympathy.

"I'm OK, considering the fact that I've just witnessed a murder"

"OK, Meche … would you be troubled if you answered a few questions"

"Not at all, Please detective have a seat. Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thank you" Hermione then began the questioning

"Now, what do you know about the victim"

"Her name is Tina, she was a regular customer, and quite friendly too, but in the last three days she was a bit jumpy, especially every time someone opens the door"

"Did she mention why she was jumpy?"

"No, but last night she said that he is coming for her and he will kill her"

"Can you describe what happen last night?"

"She was having her regular meal at that table, when someone entered, then I saw her face go pale very quick"

"Can you describe the person who entered?"

"He was a man, a tall one, and was wearing a long robe with a hood too, which was weird, it wasn't a cold night to wear something thick, all what I remember is that he has deformed front teeth"

"Nothing else"

"No, sorry his upper face was shaded with the hood"

"So, what was the woman's reaction when she saw him?"

"As I said, she went pale, the man sat down on the chair opposite to her and whispered something, and she then stumbled on her way to the toilets, he drank some of her coffee then followed her. The last thing I heard was an explosion and her screaming; I ran to the toilets and saw her walking then crawling through back door, I followed her and saw the hooded man by the corner and then he disappeared …"

"You mean left the scene"

"No I mean disappeared literally, as in 'Now you see me, Now you don't' as the magicians say" Meche was talking seriously

"Are you under the influence of drugs or something?"

"I am not and I do not do drugs, detective, I speak the truth. He's just disappeared"

"Well … Logic says no one can disappear just like that"

"I told you, this is what I saw. If you don't believe me it's your problem senorita" Meche said nervously, and Hermione didn't push too hard to that matter anymore, and tried to change the subject.

"No problem, I'll look into that matter personally. Have you seen anything else that grabbed your attention?"

"No, not really, but Tina said something, like 'Death hungers' or 'Death Eaters' or something"

"Death Eaters ..." Hermione said in confusion "I haven't heard of anything like that, maybe some satanic cult nonsense"

"I don't know, it is your job to know"

"Thank you for your time Meche"

"Always happy to help the law"

The questioning ended and Hermione looked around for Pierce, who just came out of the toilets with a sick look on his face.

"That … Was disgusting" He stated as always, Hermione asked him slyly "What Pierce, someone threw on you?"

"Worse, there is blood and guts everywhere …" He said sickly

"Well … What do you expect in a murder scene, ice-cream?" she said without changing her sneer, then said seriously "Doesn't matter, haven't you heard what the lady was saying"

"No, I was enjoying myself with the bloodbath"

"Well you behave seriously for once for God's sake … What I was saying that she saw the murderer then he just disappeared, in thin air"

"Whoa … She must've been doing drugs or somethin'"

"That what I said, but she denied fiercely. And she said that the victim said something, like 'Death Hungers' or 'Death Eaters'"

"Death Eaters" Pierce eyes twinkled for a second, then he said "Nah, Never heard of that"

"Same here, for that I want you to search for information about any satanic cult that is pertaining to this name"

"Roger, my favorite detective" Pierce said joyfully

"Honestly …" Hermione sighed hopelessly

They exiting the diner and Hermione just saw investigator Laura coming from a nearby alley.

"What were you doing there" Hermione exclaimed in annoyance.

"Nothing …" Laura said coolly, earning her a muck look from Hermione "You know missy that we aren't allowed to dawdle around aimlessly, and that alley is far from the crime scene"

"Sorry" Laura said blankly, earning her a burst from Hermione "You remember what I said early; I will not allow anyone to slow me down"

"If you looked around you, you will notice that we have already finished packing up" Laura said with not changing in her face. Hermione didn't say anything more and made her way to the lab car.

"Bloody woman …" she muttered, and Pierce tried to cool her down

"Easy, easy, she did nothing serious"

Hermione sighed heavily and said "Sorry, I think this case is getting into my head, I will go to my flat and rest a for a little bit"

"I'll fax any progress I get about this case" Pierce waved her goodbye and she headed for the hotel.

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Harry wasn't away from the crime scene, in fact, he was in the nearby alley were Laura was. Actually, Laura was Sofia in disguise; she played her role quite nicely and used her anatomy experience in the investigation. After she recorded everything she could on scene, she secretly made a copy and headed for the alley to handle it to Harry; who waited until the detectives left then headed for the crime scene by himself, he first raised a temporary anti-muggle ward then began his investigation. The blood trail seems to contain considerable amount of magic, but there are some traces which seems to be different from the major amount, that means that the victim was with magical heritage. Harry cannot seem to be able to determine the curse, it is hard without inspecting the body itself, but by the sheer volume of magic he found in the blood trail, he assumed it was a curse, and a strong one it is, he placed his assumption in a range from acid curse to bone exploding and organ decay curses. He then followed the blood trace to its origin, and was shocked when he saw the mess in the toilets, but after thorough investigation, he excluded the acid curse from the list, after all he couldn't pinpoint the exact curse until he get a clear look onto the body.

Harry then walked out of the toilets and toward the main counter where Mercedes was, she was turning her back, and when she felt the movements behind her she said without looking "We're close, as a matter of fact we won't open until the police remove their freakin' tape from around the diner"

"I'm a private investigator, and I have some questions to you please" Harry said the first thing came to his mind.

"I'm not answering anymore questions, now if you please, I need to lay down"

Harry took the liberty to pour some juice for both of them and sneakily slipped a few drops of Veritaserum in her glass and handed it to her "I only need a few questions and then I won't bother you anymore"

She took the glass and drank it shakily, he then asked her some questions and wasn't satisfied with the answers (A/N: The questions are the same of Hermione's, so it will be boring to rewrite them), he to an invasive approach to extract an answer that satisfies him, he used Legilimency. To his satisfaction, he saw everything happened with every minor detail. After he extracted the wanted information, he obliviated Mercades and left the scene.

He began to trace the magic that has emitted from the suspect's body beginning from the point where he apparated from until he reached an abandoned building with a ruined fireplace, he tested the fire place for floo-networking, and it was positive, he then traced the fireplace back to the starting point. Unfortunately, it was a fireplace in another abandoned building, and the magic trace here seems to be colder. He memorized the place and returned to the first fireplace after placing a delayed Reductor curse on the second one, and did the same to the first one too.

He then returned to the HQ, and hoped that Sofia and Ron were having better luck than him …

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**_A/N:_** Hey, that is the end of the fourth (or was it fifth?) chapter, how did you feel when you were reading it. Now you can tell me your feeling by one known way …Yes, Review. So, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease 


	5. First Encounter

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Harry Potter or anything related else owned by J.K. Rowling

**_A/N:_** Sorry for being lazy, but this chapter worth it so enjoy, and I thank **_mangoskin93_** for his review, I hope to see more reviews.

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First Encounter

"Ron, RON, WAKE UP" Ron heard a distant voice calling him; he mumbled a bit and turned in his sleep.

"Alright, LUMOS" and Ron felt his eyes scorch from the light "AAAH" He shrieked in pain as the immense light scorched his eyes behind the leads and quickly covered them with his hands, when the voice turned off the spell he opened his eyes.

"Oh, it's you Ginny …… GINNY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Ron senses now came around the world.

"Well … It's a long story, to make it short I asked to transfer to a muggle hospital here so I can study the muggle techniques in treating the patients, and to be with you and Harry

Ron mumbled and then said "OK, great. Now … WHAT, you transferred, what about mum, how cloud you leave her alone be herself" He was now in an absolute rage

"No, unlike you she understood my need to breathe new air, so she gave me permission to transfer and asked Fred and George to keep her company" Ginny replied coolly

"Well, I object and you must return home immediately" Ron barked.

"Your opinion is no longer needed, and legitimately I am an adult, so I do as I please" Ginny replied his barking.

"Impudent girl"

"Thickhead"

"Aren't we a happy family?" a voice suddenly can from behind them, they both jumped and shrieked

"GIAAAH, FOR GOODNESS SAKE HARRY DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME" Ron exclaimed in shocked manner

"Well … you know that I have no hand in my silent apparition, and I didn't sneak by, I was stand here watching you for quite some time, you seem to argue a lot like a couple" Harry stated calmly.

"Actually, I was giving her a career advice" Ron said with a tiny flash of anger

"HARRY" Ginny jumped and hugged him

"Ginny … Please … Breath" Harry said in stifled voice

Ginny released him and said "What are you doing here?"

Harry gained his composure and answered "Actually I came to see if Ron here is ready for his Day One of his new job"

"What job?" She inquired

"Can't say sis … Ministry top secret business" Ron said cheekily

Ginny frowned and said "No matter, but I won't give up my job here"

"Really? What about St. Mungos?" Harry asked surprisingly

"Actually, I work for St. Mungos branch here, but they placed me in a muggle hospital for education purposes" she said in sheer excitement.

"Which hospital is it?" Harry inquired.

"Downtown General Hospital, I'm assigned at the ER there" She was jumping with excitement.

"What?" he exclaimed soundly, she was near the zones of action, too near "Ginny, you need to look for another hospital, don't go there"

"What? You too?" Ginny yelled angrily, Harry said intently "Yes, it's too dangerous to be here at these days actually, and the hospital is in the middle of the danger zone"

"You tell her, mate" Ron agreed with Harry

"NO" Ginny yelled, "Everybody wants to dictate my life, it is my life, not yours" and she left the room in fury

"Whoa, what a strong personality she has developed. And I think she surpassed your stubbornness" Harry was looking rather impressed.

"Tell me about it" Ron replied "A Weasley through and through, she is"

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"Morning Pierce" Hermione greeted in a smile

"Hey, Herms. You look cheerful today" Pierce said joyfully while pouring both of them some coffee.

"You do look tired yourself" She looked worried

"Well, I kept digging in the case until a late hour, then went home for some rest, but my baby girl made that look like a distant dream, she kept me and Lydia awake half of the night" he yawned a bit then sipped some of his coffee.

"Sorry to hear that, and how is your lovely wife?"

"She's doing well actually, she got absorbed by maternity, and she even left her job to look after sherry"

"Good for her, it's hard to keep both the job and the children without your head shooting off to the roof"

Pierce stated "You tell me. Anyway, the new detective is bound to come in any minute now"

"Oh yeah, I'm so anxious to meet the new bloke" Hermione said while looking anxiously at the door.

By the time she finished her sentence, the door has been opened, and Ron entered. Hermione's has never seen someone that tall, and his eyes; they looked so innocent yet they bear immense pain.

"Greetings" Hermione said "I'm detective Hermione Granger and this is detective Pierce McLaden"

"Call me Pierce"

"Hi, I'm Ronald Weasley, Just call me Ron"

"You are British, aren't you?" Hermione said in more statement manner than a question "I've never seen you in Scotland Yard when I was there"

"Actually, I was working in Devonshire" Ron said hastily

"The Shire, hmm?" Hermione was in deep thought, and then she shrugged and smiled to him.

"It's good to have additional help, especially with the case we have at hand" Pierce stated.

"You have a tough case, huh? What is it about?" Ron asked as if he didn't know.

"Well … There is a Drug Lord on the loose, this particular drug lord killed Hermione's late partner" Pierce briefed Ron while glancing at Hermione, who bore a mixed look of fury and sadness "What is rather interesting is the way he broke out of jail, no alarms went off, and no footsteps were found around the jail", Ron was now interested "No trace … can we check the holding cell itsself, we might find something useful", Pierce shrugged and replied "we already have, nothing seems to attract attention" Ron didn't pursue the matter, but he made a mental note to tell Harry to check it out though.

"That's not all" Pierce resumed "After his escape, a series of homicides occurred around the city, the murderer seems to acquire an unknown weapon, this weapon cause a massive explosion of the targeted part of the victim. The most interesting thing is that the weapon doesn't leave any burning marks or any trace of gunpowder"

"Have you predicted the path of murder" Ron asked

"Actually … No, we were occupied by the weapon identification and never thought about it" Pierce said

"Well … If you thought about it, you can have the weapon or at least a glimpse of it if you know where the murderer will be" Ron state calmly, and Pierce and Hermione looked at each other rather impressed, then they looked back at him.

"What?" Ron said nervously, and Pierce chuckled "Nothing, just Hermione here thinks you are far better than the last dimwit"

"Well" Ron said in more nervous matter as Pierce patted his head "Where is the map?"

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Harry entered the HQ greeting everyone, and then advanced to Dick's desk "Morning Dick; is everything in order?"

"Harry Potter, sir, the plan seems to be working; and the camera bug in auror Weasley's shirt is doing a great job" Dick said in delight.

"Good" Harry replied coolly, and conjured a jug, charming it to pour butterbeer to everyone. Then he resumed "Now, I wan debrief. First, Vlad … How is the area around the headquarters?"

"Area is secured, sir" Vladimir stated

Harry then turned to the metamorph "Sofia, any progress with the autopsy"

"Sorry sir, the pathologist seemed to be immersed with the autopsy and she hasn't left the morgue until past midnight" Sofia stated

Harry retorted immediately "No excuses Sofia, you know the rule, I want the autopsy report on my desk by three o'clock maximum, no further excuses are accepted"

Harry then turned spoke to the lot of them "our plan seems to be in order, the muggles now knew the order of murder but they don't know that the victims are witches and wizards, now all what we need to do is to wait for the death eaters at the suspected crime scene. Our top priority is to make sure that no murder will occur and no innocent civilians are involved in the struggle, the police detectives will be considered civilians because they have no power in dealing with the death eaters"

He then looked at them intently "I know the International Auror Policy accepts a maximum of 10 civilian casualties, but hear me clear, I will not tolerate even 1 of civilian casualty. I chose you because you had the best profiles I've ever read among the world famous aurors. I know that I'm about your age, but I like to teach you a lesson I've learned a long time ago, love conquers all"

Harry then turned his back on them and continued "Dumbledore was my mentor, he was the father I didn't know, he gave his life in order to save mine. Another lesson I've learned that day, whoever died for love had not died in vain, his death gave my immunity against the killing curse, it still hurts though, but never killing. I've avenged my mentor's death and killed the traitor years later"

He brushed a tear from his eye the turned back to them with a sad smile on his face "Do not underestimate the power of love. Voldemort did, look what happened to him, that's the only lesson I want you to understand"

"We understand sir" The threesome said in unison, and Harry smiled at them warmly in a fatherly manner, his smile widened when he saw Dick glance discreetly at Sofia, and in his eyes he saw something he only saw in Ron's and Lavender's eyes, it was love.

Harry then reassumed his leader pose and said "Now we will assume our usual positions with some changes. Auror Howards, you will be in contact with auror Blanc with the cam-bug and the invisible headphone from now on. Auror Blanc, you will check with the autopsy progress and send the results to auror Howards so he can send it the Lab, Professor Malfoy will be overjoyed with the work, he told me that the routine is nearly killing him. Auror Pavlov, you will accompany my tonight in ambushing the death eaters, another team of aurors will back us up if needed, but they will not do so unless instructed to, in the mean time you will patrol the HQ area and add more protection wards around it". Harry took a deep breath then continued "I have some business tot attend to, for the time being you will do your foretold duties, dismiss"

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"No, no, and no detective Granger" Captain Maronski yelled at the young detective with his face about to explode, "I will not send a whole squad of police force after one person even if he was a lunatic murderer"

Hermione protested "But sir, I told you that this work is not of one man craft, it is the work of an organization, one like the cartel"

"And these so-called assumptions of yours are based on what evidence, your hunch is not considered one if you didn't know that" Maronski asked with a scowl.

"For the time being I don't have one, and it is not my hunch, it is Ronald's" She said intently.

"Oh, now you depend on a green guy to do the thinking" Maronski sneered

"He is not a novice, maybe he is new here but that doesn't mean he is inexperienced, it is you who is acting so immature" Hermione was now losing her tranquility.

"Detective Granger, do not forget the rank deference" Maronski's face has reddened

"Let's hope you can keep it after I report you to the blokes in the ministry. Now, make your choice, the backup, or the report" Hermione said in a warning tone.

"How dare you" Maronski hissed, but thought about the choice he had "OK, I'll give you" he grinned evilly "Team Thirteen"

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Harry apparated near the Downtown General Hospital, Ginny's workplace, he entered through the main door and saw Ginny along with a muggle doctor and a cop trying to tie down a raging stoned heavyweight criminal, the guy seemed to be in rage. Harry swiftly moved behind the bloke and gave him a well-placed chop with his hand directly under his right ear, and the man crumbled in moment.

"HARRY" Ginny exclaimed and jumped at him with a fierce hug "Nice Timing".

He barely kept his balance saying "Ginny please, one day you will break my ribs", she chuckled and replied "Not to worry, you are in a hospital aren't you?"

She let him free and pointed at her fellow doctor introducing her "Alicia Adams, my colleague and friend"

Harry now was looking to the blue eyed, blond haired woman who was looking at him intently; he smiled at her and offered his hand "Harry Potter". She shook his hand without moving her eyes from him, which made him uncomfortable, she lessened her gaze and smiled at him "Pleased to meet you, Ginny haven't stopped talking about you all day"

"Pleasure is mine" he said glancing at Ginny in a knowing way "She is still so opened, isn't she?"

"Pretty much" Alicia stated "By the way, I didn't ask about your profession Mr. Potter, but I doubt it is a desk job considering the fact that you knocked down that rampaging bull of a thug so easily", she was now eyeing him again, she never saw such green eyes, they were so warm, yet bearing something she can't explain, and his overall gesture was … Well … 'Wow' she said to herself, she thought she is hallucinating, but she can feel immense power radiating from his body, yet she feel safe … Somehow.

"Well … you can say I had taken some lessons in self-defense just I case I needed to use it" Harry answered her question with a nervous tone.

"Yeah, you see. Harry is very capable. He is an au …"

"Private Investigator" Harry answered interrupting Ginny firmly while casting a blaming gaze upon her; she caught his cue and resumed "and a bloody famous in Britain too".

"Really?" Alicia said giving Harry an odd look "I never thought that the private investigators would look so strong and … Attractive" Harry was now in a state of shock. Ginny grinned at him cheekily and said "I think Harry is here to tell me something personal"

"Too bad, I wish I was the one he wants to speak with about that 'personal' issue. Well, see you next time … Handsome" Alicia threw her most seductive look at Harry and walked away slightly brushing against his side with her hip making him startle a bit.

"Ginny, please tell me that she wasn't hiting on me" Harry asked while still in a shock

Ginny giggled and answered him "I bit she did, Harry. It's not everyday a girl meets a good-looking guy, and Alicia is not the type who let this chance slip by"

"I'm not that type of guys" Harry said in disapproval

"I know, but when a girl sees you; she can't wait for you to make the move; she make it herself. You got that thing in you, it is called attractiveness" Ginny stated giggling even more.

Harry shook his head and regained his composure "Anyway, I'm here to place some protection around the place"

Ginny frowned and asked "Why? I don't need any?"

"You do" Harry answered firmly "We are in a state of war, and your kinship with Ron would place you in great peril. I know that you are capable of defending yourself, but your muggle friends here aren't, and if the death eaters attacked, they well not target you alone, every person here will be a target; you must understand this Ginny"

Ginny looked sad a little bit but nodded in understanding "I understand Harry"

Harry smiled at her warmly "Now, now … Why the long face, it's not like the death eaters have attacked already"

"It's just …" She said, and her shoulders began to shake, and she threw herself on Harry crying "I HATE THEM, I hate those monsters calling themselves death eaters. They killed all of my friends, Neville, Luna, Pavarti, Seamus, and Dean, all of them. I don't want to suffer any more sorrow, what if they killed Ron, what if they killed … You"

Harry felt as clueless as he was when she cried on his shoulder the last time, but he cuddled her anyway, and brushed her tears with his thumb soothing her "Shhhh, you are a strong girl Ginny, I do not like to my strong sister that frail. I can't bring the dead, but I can promise you one thing, I will not let them make you suffer the loss again, is that OK?" Ginny nodded in his chest, and he kissed her forehead brotherly.

"Now, I want you to show me around so I can place the wards correctly, I can't seem to trust anyone from the ministry to put them on without blazing the hospital into human Steak House" and Ginny giggled under her tears.

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"TEAM THIRTEEN … No shit" Pierce exclaimed offensively. Ron was confused "What's wrong with team thirteen"

Pierce took a deep breath from his cigarette ignoring the glares from Hermione before breathing out soundly, and answered "I'll tell you what's wrong … Team Thirteen is the most incompetent team in the force, their leader was killed in action, and was replaced by a newbie; the team itself consists of rookies. In other words, THEY ARE A GODDAMN LIABILITY"

Hermione patted on the shoulder of the now raging Pierce and stated "But they are our only chance of intercepting the killer. Captain Maronski is right, we can't barge into a place without good evidence at hand, which we don't have for now"

Ron excused for a minute; Pierce shook his head trying to relieve his anger in a less offensive way, and then asked Hermione "What's now?" Hermione shrugged in a reply "Proceed with the plan with you as the sniper?"

"ME?" Pierce scowled in disapproval "Who well watch your back?", Hermione answered calmly "Weasley"

"What's happening? First Maronski acts like an asshole, then you act like a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl who trust the first good-looking stranger smiling at her" Pierce said in a fury earning him a frown and a yell from Hermione "PIERCE … Stop acting like an arse yourself"

Pierce took a deep nervous breath, then apologized "Sorry, I think that our first encounter with that madman is really playing with my nerves"

Hermione smiled at him softly "Aren't we all?"

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Ron contacted Dick via the invisible headphone just after he reached a safe location and asked him to hook him up with Harry.

"Harry, can you hear me …"

"… Loud and clear, Ron …"

"The muggles are ready, but it seems the police force they are using is weak and inexperienced according to the detectives …"

"… Weird … Aren't they convinced with the murder trail …"

"Not them, the muggle captain is, he will not discharge a big force without enough evidence"

"… Which we don't have. And we don't have the luxury of time to look for one either …"

"What should we do now …"

"… I think it is up to us now, I was hoping to let the muggles get the small fish so we can keep it low until the big fish appears. Flint will not act by himself twice in a row; not very brave of him, but it shows his foxy persona. Ron, try to protect muggle detectives and escort them away from war zone as soon as possible, I do not want any casualties on the first encounter …"

"You can trust me on that …"

"… I know Ron, that's why you're my best mate. Over and out …"

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"Team Thirteen, confirm your status"

"… Eagle One standing by …"

"… Eagle Two standing by …"

"Roger, do not move until the order is given directly by me …" Hermione stated

"… Roger, Team Thirteen on hold …"

Hermione exhaled nervously, then contacted Pierce

"Eagle Watch, confirm your status …"

"… Eagle Watch here, it's a nice view from up here, everything seems to be in order …" Pierce stated

"Roger Eagle Watch, you are on the identification mode only, do not fire a bullet without further orders …"

"… As you say lassie …"

"Over and out …" Hermione ended the conversation while smiling.

She then turned to Ron who was waiting calmly and asked him "Nervous?" He answered with more calm "A little, you?", she smiled a bit and answered "A lot". She then asked him "Have you made a hypothesis on the murderer?", Ron thought for a second then said cautiously "Well … I think we will find a person, a man or a woman, with a menacing persona, and a lot of bigotry to a certain belief"

Hermione looked at him intently "That's the most detailed assumption I've every heard. Well, my hypothesis is that we will find a satanic cult member or a so-called wizard or witch killing people in order to bring 'peace' to the world", Ron was now alarmed, she never knew how much she was close to truth.

"Eagle Nest, this is Eagle Watch. I think I have visual …" the radio shouted

"Eagle Watch this is Eagle Nest, can you have more details about the visual …"

" … Negative, they are too far. Wait, they are moving, they entered the distant alley, visual lost …"

"Damn" Hermione muttered

"… Another visual, it's near. Wait, what the hell, it's the same visual from the distant alley"

"How can it be" Hermione said in a shock. Ron looked alarmed and muttered "Our Killer is here"

" … There are five targets, cloaked and hooded, they are moving toward the bar. Wait, another visual, two targets, they are walking to the first visual, they stopped, they appear to be engaging in a conversation"

Hermione shouted through the walky-talky "Keep the passive stance, Eagle Watch …"

"Roger … Hey, the weather seems to get cooler, no, it is getting colder …"

"How can that be, the weather forecast never said anything about a frost wave"

"They seem to be taking offensive stances; the teams are breaking up into two skirmishes"

Hermione moved and shouted at Ron "Hurry, we need to get closer", and she reached a good distance for her to see the suspects. "Hermione, wait, it's dangerous" Ron followed her with a shudder, because he knew what the cause of this cold atmosphere is.

"What is dangerous?" she said hastily, but her eyes

Hermione witnessed in awe a fight she never seen in her so-called dangerous job. As two of the five suspects engaged in a fight with one of the two at the doorsteps of the bar, while the remaining three engaged in a more gruesome fight with the other one, who looked like someone plugged him into a power plant.

"What are those weapons?" Hermione said as she seemed frightened

"Some kind of beam-weapons" Ron answered with the answer he rehearsed on.

"It is definitely not laser" Hermione said in disapproval.

Ron started to think about an excuse to tell Harry for allowing muggles to witness a magic duel, because he definitely not going to use a memory charm on her or McLaden.

"This is Eagle Watch, asking for a permission to go hot" The radio shouted

"Permission granted" She replied

Pierce placed the sniper rifle on the roof edge, and fired several shoots at different targets, "Shit, no way" his eyes widened as he saw what happened

" … Eagle Watch, you've been granted permission, why I don't see any suspect down …" his radio shouted

"I've fired five damn shots, but it seems that there is some kind of electromagnetic defense field surrounding them …"

Hermione was about to faint when she heard what Pierce has said, and looked to Ron for explanation, but an expressionless face was all what she seem to get, and her eyes twinkled for a second, and a question was on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say anything.

"This is Eagle One, requesting permission to go hot"

Hermione looked to Ron for council, who shook his head in disapproval "No, they can't handle this"

"But, an innocent person is going to be killed" she protested weakly

"And your decision will cause the death of more" He said firmly

Hermione sighed soundly before turning on the radio "Permission … Denied"

"Shit, one of them spotted me …" she heard Pierce through the radio, her heart started to beat quickly as she saw a beam of red light making its way to the location of her partner.

"No" she screamed as the red light exploded soundly and turned in fury to the caster "You bastard" she took her gun and aimed it, "No, Hermione don't" Ron jumped to grab her but the death eater fired a stun spell hitting her squarely in the chest …

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Harry took his time placing some really strong wards around the hospital, then disapparated to the HQ and ordered Vlad to join him in the ambush, and they both apparated to the ambush location which was a bar.

Both of them were near the location right now, they hid in an alley beside the bar.

"When the fight begins you will run to the bar and protect the target" Harry said in assertive matter.

"But how can I know who is the target, sir" Vlad said in confusion, and Harry answered "The on with the magical ability is the target", he then tightened his lips which Vlad took it as a silence order, and they waited for the murderer.

They hadn't have to wait for long since they hear the distinctive crack of apparition, they glanced over the direction of the crack and saw five figures coming out of the opposite alley, the death eaters.

"They are here …" Harry stated, and ushered Vlad to follow him. They exited the alley causing the death eaters to halt suddenly at their sight.

"I didn't expect to see you that soon, Potter" a female voice sneered from under the hood of the middle death eaters.

"You know my nature … Parkinson" Harry replied in a cold face, to the death eater who was no other than Pansy Parkinson, the ice queen of the House of Slytherin.

The young witch flipped her hood exposing her angelic face with pale complexion 'She's beautiful' Harry thought for a second justifying Malfoy's love for her 'But it's a beauty of a snake'

"Long time no see, eh Potter?" Pansy continued her sneer.

"Not that I'm that anxious to meet you" he replied with even a colder tone.

"Aww, aren't we a bit angry" she said cheekily trying to hide her trembling, and moved her gaze away from those fiery green eyes of his and checked out his second.

"You took the lives of many of my close friends, and caused the grief of the rest; I will never forgive you" by the end of the of the sentence, the temperature dropped sharply, and the death eaters looked at Harry in horror, even Vladimir shuddered in fear when he saw Harry's face.

Pansy never believed that she would see the scrawny boy who is called The-Boy-Who-Lived so terrifying, yet she has to admit that he is no longer the scrawny confused boy who was sorted into Gryffindor in their first year at Hogwarts; his body is filled in the right places, and his aura is shooting up to the sky.

"I think I must ask you to surrender or leave at peace, no one is going to die today" Harry voice echoed through the vacant street"

"You think your muggle support will scare us, Potter"

Harry's jaw tense to the statement, but dissolved quickly.

Pansy looked at him in a mix of seduction and sneer "You think you can outsmart me Potter"

"Doesn't matter" Harry said disdainfully "You must be on your way"

"Never, the traitors must die, the pure blood will rule again" She hissed with anger

Harry replied calmly "No one wants the pure bloods to control everything in the Wizard World this time, it is a lost cause, and you know yourself that no pureblood has ever best me, the muggle-born"

Yes, she has to admit it. This boy, no, this young man has bested the most powerful wizard she ever knew, even after Flint has assumed the command of the death eaters, she still disapproved the fact that a wizard like flint – although is considered the most skillful and powerful among death eaters – is succeeding a powerful wizard like Voldemort. She thinks that this position must be reserved for someone as powerful as Voldemort, someone like Harry Potter; if only he sees their cause from their point of vision, but he is not, and she hates this fact so much.

Also, another reason for her to hate him is that she fancies him; yes, she hates it but she admits that she felt some kind of attraction. What bugs her more is that he is not a pure blood, and her dedication to the former Dark Lord's cause is what keeping her from admitting her love of him – who never showed her anything but pure joy and loyalty – she was still attracted to him, and because of that she began to hate him.

"Now surrender or leave at peace, your choice"

"You dream potter", and the fight started

No one of those fresh death eaters has ever saw Harry Potter in action, they only heard it from other senior death eaters who fought in the final battle. And when they witnessed his moves by their own eyes, they didn't believe he is a normal person, actually, they never believed he was human at all.

Harry himself was immersed in battle and never saw Vlad struggling to keep the death eaters from entering the bar, which was protected by an anti-apparition ward, and fail miserably. He has never been in such action since the days of the final battle, though this time he has a surprise for those poor mutts.

He heard gun shots from above and without thinking conjured Absolvo shield around himself, and the death eaters did the same.

"That muggle bastard" and she blindly shot a strong curse toward the place where the bullets came from; Harry felt anger flowing through his veins.

After a few minutes of apparition and spell exchange, he holstered his wand and began to just dodge curses, which perplexed Pansy

"What's up Potter, your so-called power is failing you?" she taunted with false sneer.

"You Wish" Harry replied slowly, and then drew a sword out of an invisible sheath from his side, and for a second nobody seemed to know what's happened.

Pansy screamed as she felt pain searing through her right arm, and the blood gashed out of a cut opened suddenly in it and she felt a surge electricity hit her body for a second and the cut itself burning, she turned her head and saw her death eater comrades standing silently with Harry between them, then suddenly both of them fell limply to the ground as if they were dolls, soon they were lying in a blood pool with a gruesome cuts in their necks. She shivered when she moved her eyes to Harry; he was holding a Japanese sword.

"W-What Happened?" Pansy asked in fear and confusion

"Clearly I've won" He flashed the sword in front of her eyes "Say hello to my sword"

Her eyes widened in fear as she read the letters carved on the blade "Godric Gryffindor, but this sword has been broken"

"It has been remade" and he placed the tip of the sword on her neck "Now, you well pay for the blood of my friends"

"Wait, please" she pleaded feeble, he looked at her for a minute, then said one word "Speak"

"I hadn't killed them, it was Flint's deed. I refused to kill them as they most of them were pure-blooded and old acquaintances, you have to believe me"

"Why should I"

"Because you can extract the truth by yourself", he stood for a second, he sheathed the sword slowly, then said the word "Legilimens …"

Harry swam through the waves of memories, he saw her memories from Hogwarts, laughing with her friends and teasing other girls from other houses. The scenes suddenly shifted to the scene he wanted.

He saw his friends standing unarmed in an abandoned building in Hogsmade while Marcus Flint and Pansy were pointing their wands at them, there was no fear in their eyes but angry and determined looks was there, they all seem to be ready to die. True Gryffindors, they were. He then heard Flint speak to Pansy "I'll leave you the pleasure of killing them". To his surprise he heard Pansy exclaim in shock "What? But they are unarmed. It won't be beneficial to kill them".

Flint hasn't changed his cool stance while answering "Yes, but it is fun, isn't it, and I'm bored of not killing someone for a long time"

She looked at him in disbelief, and then her face has changed to a firm expression "No, I will not murder any ... Any pure blood"

"Suite yourself, AVADA KEDAVRA INFINITI" and multiple killing curses erupted from the end of his wand killing every one of his friends. Harry felt the pain seeping from his heart to his whole body and change the scene quickly without thinking.

He saw a scene that caused a great shock run through him, he saw Draco holding Pansy in a tight hug while they were laughing, he never saw Pansy smiling, let alone laughing, she looked so angelic while happy, she was no longer the ice queen of Slytherin. He looked for another scene and found one that he never thought he will see, she was walking with Draco with a toddler and both of them holding both her hands, she looked a lot like Pansy, but with Draco's eyes. A happy family walking together. Suddenly, a death eater appeared and Draco drew his wand while Pansy tried to protect their daughter, but it was all in vain as the death eater fired a killing curse which hit the girl squarely in the head. He saw Draco retaliate with the same spell, and Pansy cried painfully as she held her daughter's limp body. Harry himself felt sick at the view, then pulled himself out of her mind.

The first thing he saw was Pansy's face, frozen tears were in her eyes. He wanted to kick himself hard for forgetting a simple principle; legillimensy let the person who has been used on to relive the feeling being surfed in, and in multiple folds, he accidentally made Pansy relive her daughter's death with the emotions multiplied to ten. In other words, he tortured her.

Pansy cried with immense grief that he only saw on Molly's face when she learned about Persy's death, the feeling of your heart as the pain pierce it and tear it apart. He held Pansy tightly and she sobs loudly at his shoulder.

"Harry, what's happening mate?" Ron was coming, and saw the scene, he looked in confusion. But then Pansy said between her sobs "No one should bury their child, it should have hit me, it should've been me, I should be dead, and she should be alive", Harry brushed her hair in sympathy and tried to comfort her "No need to cry, they will all pay, I swear they will", Ron seemed to partially understand what's happening and bend his head with sorrow.

Pansy drifted into unconsciousness between Harry's arms, he left her body and turned to Ron "Order the aurors to collect the dead and send the stunned death eaters to the holding cells for interrogation", he looked at the direction of the bar where Vlad was stunned down and resumed "Revive Vlad and tell him to report to the HQ immediately, I want to know what happened as it seems they took out the victim"

"What about the muggles?" Ron asked

"Revive them and erase their memories" Harry said calmly, and Ron looked annoyed but nodded anyway, "I'll take Pansy to St. Mungos"

"Then we'll have to talk about everything" Ron stated as he looked at Harry's sword.

Harry nodded then disapparated to St. Mungos.

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A/N:_** How was it? the action seemed well to me, but not that what I wanted, Pansy's scene hit me in the last minutes, and I felt like make that some tragedy would spice up the story and make it more complicated. The story of Gryffindor Katana will be explained in the next chapter … 

Read & Review please


	6. Suspicions

**_Disclaimer:_** I would love to say they are all mine, but they're not. I only own the plot and other characters J.K. Rowling doesn't own.

**_A/N:_** At last, chapter 6 is up. This chapter contains the aftermath of the first encounter between the auror team and the death eaters; Ginny's daily chores in the ER, and our first glimpse of the bad guys in their HQ. Also, I promised that I will explain everything about Godric's Katana, so let's stop babbling and on with the chapter.

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Suspicions

Ron looked at the space Harry used to occupy for a second, and then walked over to Hermione with his wand in his right hand. He prepared to fire the memory charm at her the moment she wakes up, but a hesitant look played on his face and he seemed to be struggling with his thoughts.

'I must erase that scene from her mind; no muggle should witness our fights'

'But she is smart; she can prove helpful in the future'

'You must obey Harry's order, he is your superior'

'Why should I always act to Harry's thinking, I can think by myself and can't be right all the time, he's a human after all'

Ron then came to a final decision, and holstered his wand back in its invisible pocket, then called forth the aurors from their hiding and ordered them to collect the bodies of the dead death eaters and bind the unconscious ones. After they finished their doings he checked his watch; Hermione should awake by now.

As soon as he lowered his hand he heard her moaning, and she opened her eyes slowly. He picked her up and asked her in a concerned manner.

"Are you OK?"

"Sore a bit, what happened?"

"It seems … The murderers escaped again" He lied while looking at the ground

"WHAT … but I saw that person, that … thing, killing two of them"

"Yes, but they took the bodies before we can get our hands on them"

"What about the victim"

"Dead …"

"It is not my day" Hermione said as she walked over to the bar, and she remembered something "Pierce"

She ran to the building that Pierce is on and scaled the stairs quickly with Ron running after her. When she reached the roof, they didn't find him, but they saw a large whole on the other side. Hermione ran to the floor just under the roof and found rubble everywhere with the ceiling above them about to crumble.

"PIERCE" she celled, but no answer.

"Hermione, it is dangerous to shout here, the building might collapse any minute"

"That's why I have to find him … PIERCE"

"No need to shoot missy, I'm here" Pierce called from under the rubble in the far side of the room.

Ron and Hermione ran to his spot and gently removed the rubble, and pulled the groaning Pierce from under it.

"Aw, aw, easy … I'm not a fuckin' chair"

"You mind your mouth, Eagle Watch" Hermione scolded him but couldn't help but smile.

"As if eagles really speak … Well, it's actually good to see too you detective Granger, or should I say 'detectives', as if one Hermione is not enough"

"I think you hit your head hard" she looked more worried than before.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I will not die so soon, only the good die young, and I'm a baaad boy" he replied joyfully although looking disoriented.

While they were having their 'friendly' conversation, Ron was examining Pierce's injuries "Multiple bruises, shoulder dislocation, fractured femur, moderate concussion"

Pierce looked at Ron who moved and looked down through the window and said jokingly "Are these my injuries, or were you reading an Emergency Medicine textbook"

Hermione hit him lightly on the head and stated "Actually, you are lucky that you didn't acquire everything that is written in the textbook … Stupid boys, always playing heroes"

"Well, girls are attracted to heroes, aren't they?" Pierce replied naughtily earning him another beat on the head"

"Stop it Hermione or his concussion will increase" that was from Ron who was rather annoyed by their banter.

"He started it" Hermione said in defense.

"Next time we have a conversation I'll be sure to bring a helmet" Pierce tried to provoke her more, but Hermione didn't get a chance to retaliate because the ceiling then whole building began to crumble.

"GET OUT, BOTH OF YA'" Pierce exclaimed at both of them with determination on his face.

"NO, we have to get you out" Hermione shouted and tried to pull him up, but her effort was in vain as he pushed her away.

"Stupid woman, I will only slow you down … RUN" he ended his sentence with a groan of pain.

"No, no, and no … We are partners, we all live or die together" Hermione exclaimed with tears frozen in her eyes.

"This is not a movie Hermione; remember the rule, only minimum casualties are accepted with at least on detective alive"

"But …"

They didn't see a huge chunk of the ceiling coming down at them as they were engrossed in their melodramic conversation. He ran toward them shouting "WATCH OUT", and without thinking he held both of their hands and with a loud pop he apparated all of them to the opposite alley beside the bar.

Everyone including Ron was stunned as they saw the building they were in it a moment ago coming down soundly. Both Hermione and Pierce looked at Ron with a shocked expression on their faces; Ron himself didn't believe he did what he did, he proceeded with his lies but couldn't remove the nervous 'You Got Me' look from his face "I think whatever happened there means it was too soon for us to die"

Ron was rather concerned with Pierce's look; it was not a confused look, but a semi-understanding; he was startled with the gleam in Pierce eyes.

Pierce himself had a theory, but he didn't bring it up to Hermione; it was too soon to confront her or his 'suspect'. He tried to change the course of conversation so he does not alert Ron about his theory.

"I told you only the good ones die young, I never thought you were not so goody-goody Herms, what have you done sweetheart? Tortured some innocents, hit some children, or…" he continued with a mischievous look "had a part-time job at Red-light District"

Hermione's shock even doubled as she heard the last part of his sentence, then her face changed into a brilliant mix of anger and joyfulness "You cheeky fellow"

"That's me babe"

Ron cleared his throat loudly attracting their attention "I think I have to escort Pierce to the hospital, he needs medical attention; the ambulance is already here"

"And I should check the crime scene" Hermione stated as she walked toward the bar.

The EMTs placed Pierce on a gurney and pushed him to the ambulance with Ron behind them, and they all rode to Downtown General Hospital.

------------------------------------

By the time these events occurred, Harry was at the entrance St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies – Southwest USA Branch; he entered hastily and was recognized by the reception employee almost immediately.

"I'll be damned, it's Harry Potter" she exclaimed and everybody at the reception area turned to see the newcomer.

"Thanks, thanks a lot for calling unwanted attention" Harry said scowling at the woman in front of him, who lowered her eyes with apology.

"Sorry, sir; I couldn't help but to notice that a celebrity such as yourself has graced us with his appearance …" she tried to appease him with silver tongue speech.

"Well, this celebrity needs some help; you see, this woman here has sustained moderate physical injuries and severe mental ones, I need her to be attended by the best doctor you have"

"OK sir"

"And I want a secure floo connection to the Ministry of Magic"

"You can use the one in the Chief of Staff office, is that all sir"

"Not all, I want four security guards to be places at her ward; two inside and two outside, until the aurors arrive from the Ministry" then Harry placed Pansy at the floating gurney two healers just conjured.

Harry made his way to the Chief of Staff office passing the confused but awed secretary and knocked the door, then entered without waiting for an answer ignoring the secretary's protests.

"Excuse me sir" Harry called for the Chief of Staff.

"What's that, explain yourself; young man" a short chubby man shouted in disapproval of the intrusion.

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but I need to use your floo connection" Harry answered hastily

"And what made you think this is a public floo … Bless my stars, it's Harry Potter"

"Can I use the floo now, sir" Harry said taking the advantage of his fame

"Why of course, it is time for my rotation anyway; feel free to speak loudly, this room is under the silencing charm"

"Thank you sir", and then he waited until the chief exited the room then jumped near the fireplace and shouted "Minister Malone's office" and put his head into the emerald fire.

Minister Malone was deeply absorbed by paperwork, which caused his to jump when he heard the emerald flames burst at his fireplace.

"Minister"

"Oh, its you Potter"

"I've got some news and requests"

"News first"

"We've encountered the death eaters and caught one"

"Well, that's good news. Who is the sorry ass?"

"Pansy Parkinson"

"Well, I'll be … That's a good catch Potter"

"Actually sir, I don't think she's a death eater"

"Based on what evidence, you know better than me that she is the one who killed your fellow aurors"

"It was not her sir, it was Flint; I saw her memories, she refused to kill them"

"Well, I think this is of dispute, but we will look into it another time. Now, where is she?"

"In St. Mungos, she couldn't bear the intensity of the Legilimensy, which leads to my request, I want some aurors to be placed at her ward in case any death eater would come and try to murder her"

"Request denied … And what if those death eater jerks tried to kill her, good riddance. And why do care much about her safety rather than her escaping"

"Because I know she won't, sir. I accidentally tripped a sad memory within her mind which showed her daughter being killed in cold blood by a death eater"

"…………"

"With all due respect sir, I have to ask you to send some aurors or I'll assign my whole team to guard her, it is my fault she is in here"

"……… Request granted, and I hope you are right Potter or it will be your ass and badge on the line"

"Thank you sir, you will not regret it"

------------------------------------

The ambulance reached the hospital after 10 minutes of driving. The EMTs parked at the entrance and pulled Pierce out in haste, which pained him slightly.

"Ouch, easy there idiotas"

"I heard you, Pierce" Hermione's voice came out of nowhere.

"Wha … Who's that" he turned around seeing Ron holding a walky-talky just removing his thumb from the talk button; he almost doubled over with laughter.

"Sorry Pierce; couldn't resist" Ron said between laughs

"Very funny" Pierce muttered coldly "And I thought Hermione left the force and started working as my conscious; I'll repay you that Weasley, with a handsome tip"

"You really would make a good partner with my brothers; they were the biggest mischievous chaps in school"

"Really, I never thought that anyone would be as naughty as me" Pierce laughed a bit, before he drefted to unconsciousness.

Soon they reached 'Trauma One' room, Ron stood outside while the doctor were doing their jobs.

"RON" he jumped as someone called him from behind.

"GINNY … How many times I told you not to spook me", he lowered his voice as he continued "I was about to pull my wand out in presence of muggles"

"Oops! Sorry Ron, I won't do it again" she said it indifferently earning her a scowl from Ron "You enjoy vexing me, don't you", but she him paid no attention as she turned to trauma room and looked through the glass

"Friend of yours"

"Yes, his my partner at the police force"

"I never knew you are working with muggles"

"Now you know; so if you please listen to me without interruption for a minute"

Ginny's face turned serious, because Ron would never indicate her to listen unless it is something worth attention.

Ron cleared his throat and looked sideways before starting to talk slowly nearly whispering "Pierce there barely escaped a Reductor curse, it might have only grazed him but he couldn't escape the aftermath of the curse; he have fallen one floor down with part of the roof before another part came down at him and he sustained some … minor wounds"

"All that and he only got minor wounds" Ginny looked at her brother in a skeptical look.

He took a deep breath and then continued "I want you to tend to his wounds personally, as he was attacked by wizards so the law clearly allows him to be treated by healers. And by the way, do not obliviate him, I want his memory intact"

Ginny protested "Why, muggles should be obliviated whenever they witness something magical"

"Ginny, please" Ron was now irritated "For once in your life, do what is told to you without arguing", Ginny looked at him in protest but didn't hold on to the matter.

"OK, move so I can enter"

"Just do as I say …"

"For God's sake Ron, I am not stupid. Now move" Ron moved out of the way without saying a word.

Ginny pushed the doors to trauma, and was greeted by her friends and colleagues.

"Ginny, good timing as always" that was from her close friend Alicia Adams

"Morning Alicia, although the sun hasn't risen yet; Now, gimme the bullet"

"McLaden, Pierce; 29-year-old male, 6' to 6'3" in height; weight appears to be 155–160 lbs; brought by EMTs from a cop shootout; Airway and breathing normal with no signs of breathing difficulties, abdomen rigid and distended, suspected internal injuries, pupils reaction to light normal; lost consciousness just before he is brought to trauma, he developed mild to moderate concussion at the scene, broken right femur, cracked right tibia and lift fibula"

"Just minor injuries … I swear I'll get you for this, Ronald Weasely" Ginny mumbled angrily.

"Excuse me" Alicia turned to her, and Ginny replied almost instantly "Nothing … Let's get this fellow fixed up now, shall we? I need a CBC, Chem-7, blood gases, X-Rays, and a crit"

And everybody got into action.

------------------------------------

"Now mister, would you repeat the whole scene again? And this time slowly" Hermione asked the bartender; who – despite his huge size – was shaking vigorously as if someone plugged him in 220V outlet.

"Senorita I told you; that black-hood loco stormed the place and fired an orange beam at poor Julio at that table, icompasivo Dios" he exclaimed fearfully while praying.

"Is that all?" Hermione asked in a frustrated tone but still hoping for more information.

"Si senorita, that's all"

"It is detective for you, macho" then Hermione shot toward the table where the victim were at, and was taken aback by the sight of gore.

This time the murderers weren't giving any chance of failure, the victim's upper chest and head has exploded with bits of brain, flesh and bone spread on the entire area around the table. She wore her gloves and tried to pull the wallet out of what remained of the body.

"Stop right there, detective" a familiar voice shouted from behind, she turned around and found her tormentor "Investigator Laura" she said frowning "You're late".

"And your about to contaminate the crime scene"

"I took my precautions" she waved her gloved hands "And I want that wallet for investigation"

"I think this is our job" Laura said calmly

"Now, now, Laura; you know the rule I set previously …"

"I happen to have new rules from your superiors" She didn't change her stance as she pulled out a folded letter from her pocket, which Hermione snatched almost tearing it.

**Los Angeles Police Department**

_**Robbery and Homicide Division**_

_**LAPD Board Committee**_

_**Memo to all Field Detectives:**_

_On the light of recent events which includes some field detectives who are ignoring a trivial regulation, which notes that the crime scene investigators are the ones responsible for collecting and processing evidence, although they are not ignorant of the fact that their interference might cause some degree of contamination to the crime scene, which leads to disturbance in the case itself. The Board Committee of Chiefs of Los Angeles Police Departments has agreed to apply certain compromising solution for this undesirable situation:_

_1 - The detective in charge of a case must remain passive until the CSI team arrive at scene and finish their work._

_2 – Any detective who does not wish to comply with the new rule will bee relieved of his/her duty and be forced to present his/her detective badge and gun._

_This new regulation is effective immediately, and the CSI personnel are granted the power to extract any detective fails to comply with the regulation and report them immediately._

_**Head of LAPD Board Committee**_

_**John S. Maronski**_

If the Hermione was shooting daggers from her eyes, Laura would be dead by now; she gave the young investigator her most intimidating leer.

"Now detective, if you please; I have a crime scene to check" said Laura not giving a damn about the leers of the young detective

Hermione stood there for a minute glaring at the cool investigator before storming out of the bar swearing loudly.

"That old goat; good-for-nothing, wrinkled-arse, vile retard"

"Bloody Hell Hermione, I never thought your language could descend to that colorful speech you just blurted"

"Oh, shove it Weasley; I'm not in the mood" She retorted aggressively at Ron who just came from the Hospital.

"Why? What happened?" Ron asked in confusion.

"That wanker Maronski has put some new restrains on our jobs" she stated as she handed the notice to Ron, who read it quickly then stood there with a smile.

"At least now we have some vacancy in our time"

"Who said I need vacancy" Hermione exclaimed in disapproval.

Ron stared at her for a minute before speaking "You know Hermione, sometimes I mistake you for a machine. Since I came here I never saw you rest for a minute, what's eating you lassie? Do you have any problems with your boyfriend?"

Ron regretted his question when he saw the sad look appearing on her face. She that answered in a calm, tear-shedding voice "Actually, my boyfriend was tortured and killed by the Drug Lord Muerte; he was my past partner and our informer inside the cartel. He was exposed because some corrupt investigator leaked information about the detectives who deal with Muerte's cases. I, myself, was and still their number one target and barely escaped death once, everyone around me is also become tainted and targeted by them, and that's why I always like to work alone, I am a cursed person, I'm all alone"

Few tears escaped her eyes despite her effort to push them back, and Ron looked at her with sympathy and tried to comfort her.

"You are not alone; and you remind me of a friend, who also was a target since he was one year old, his parents died by the hands of the Dark Lord himself in an attempt to save him, he then ……"

His eyes widened as he saw her confusion and fear, he noticed that he spoke his thoughts out loud; too loud 'This is bad, I almost blurted the secrets of the Wizard World to a muggle. This is truly bad'

"Wha-What, Dark Lord, one-year-old target, what are you babbling about" Hermione looked at Ron with a confused look

"Nothing, nothing, just some nonsense" Ron tried to dismiss the matter.

"I never her of a nonsense so … Complicated" Hermione not wore her usual inquisitive look, which made Ron sweat real badly.

"I'll go and convince the investigator to give us a draft of their progress" Ron said as a last attempt of escape, which – for his relief – was answered with an approval yet skeptical nod from Hermione; but as he headed for the bar, he felt Hermione's piercing looks at his back.

Hermione then stood for a second processing her thoughts before heading toward the dark alley beside the bar, 'There is something fishy about that Weasley' she thought to herself on her way to the alley 'I've got to speak to Pierce about it'

As she reached the alley she looked around, this is the place where the second party came out from and confronted the murderers; their allegiance is still unknown, but until it is revealed they must be treated as hostiles, no more unwanted trust in strangers; she once done it and lost her boyfriend as a price.

She didn't find any interesting so she went deep into the alley for a thorough check, only to find nothing. She stood there with frustration and hopelessness, and was about to leave the alley, but her police intuition kept her, and a thought of going deeper came to her.

She only walked a few steps until she reached a bend before feeling the presence of someone on the other side of the bend; she leaned forward only to see the silhouette of two people under faint light, and overheard the weirdest conversation she ever heard in her life.

"Have you got everything Sofia?"

"No sir; the equipments here are useless in thorough check; we'll have to wait until the body remains are transferred to the morgue"

"Not good Sofia, you already disappointed me once; I will not tolerate failure again"

"Yes sir; also there is some good news, our encounter with the death eaters left them no time to remove the magic signature of the curse used on the victim"

"Really; maybe not all has been in vain after all"

"I will spare no effort in acquiring the needed information"

"I know Sofia, I have high expectations in you and the whole team; I have not chosen you blindly, you are the best aurors in the world; but don't let that get in your head"

"I see sir; I will not disappoint you. How's auror Pavlov doing sir?"

"He's doing well; although he was hit by bone-exploding curse that hit his shoulder; and a slicing curse that nearly amputated his leg; but I do not doubt the skill of the chaps in St. Mungos, they will get him patched up in no time"

"I see sir; the loss of auror Pavlov would be a major blow, as he is considered a great asset to our team"

"I know that; but not to worry, he will be back in a couple of days mostly"

I hope so sir; I better return to the crime scene now"

"Go, I will wait your full report at the headquarters"

Hermione heard a door open as one of them entered the diner; but the other one is still there; she devised a plan to catch him off guard, but her mind was still all wrapped up with the conversation she eavesdropped. She made up her mind, and jumped in the alley's section the person was in, "Freeze" she shouted with firmness, and suddenly her eyes caught his.

She never saw eyes that green in her whole life, she felt as if she was hypnotized for minute before noticing him moving backwards slowly; she fired her first shot at him, and her widening as she saw him dodging the bullet in a un-human speed; she fired a second bullet but didn't reach him as it seemed to hit a force field that suddenly appeared around him. She stood there dumbfounded only to see him running astounding speed toward the end of the alley as there was a bend there; she regained her awareness and leaped behind him, but by that time he reached the bend and turned to it. She jumped forward and pointed her gun, but to her dismay he was gone, and it was a dead-end.

"H-How?" she said almost fainting; she stretched a trembling hand toward the wall in front of her, it was clearly a solid wall. She stepped out of the alley shivering violently wearing a stunned look on her face only to meet Ron's worrying eyes, she held his arms tightly.

"There's a man … bullet dodged … disappeared … dead-end" she stuttered almost fainting in Ron's arms.

"It's okay; the darkness of the alley along with your injuries caused you to hallucinate" Ron said with a weak smile.

"Injuries? Hallucination?" Hermione looked at Ron with tired and confused eyes.

"You see; that spe… Beam you were hit with caused you to hallucinate about everything happened there; I checked the alley when you were at the bar before you come out, and there was nothing"

"I-I don't know, I don't feel well right now; I will go to home, I want to lye down for a while"

"Good for you" Ron said with a wider smile "I will escort you to your flat"

------------------------------------

"BP 90/60 and falling" a nurse exclaimed

"Give him an amp of Epi; and where those bloody results are. Maria call the lab and tell them to get their arses to work for God's sake" Ginny shouted at the nurse beside her

"Okay" nurse Maria ran toward the phone.

"Kati, how's the BP" Ginny asked the first nurse

"100/62 and rising" nurse Kati answered giving Ginny a thumb-up

"He's in V-fib" a nurse shouted

"We're losing him" Alicia said to Ginny

"No we're not" Ginny said firmly

"The lab are sending the results now" nurse Maria said as she entered the room

"Give him 3cc of Potassium slowly" Alicia shouted at Kati

"Don't die McLaden; I promised Ron you won't die" Ginny mumbled nervously

------------------------------------

Harry panted heavily as he appeared at the alley in front of the HQ "That was close" he said while leaning his back to the wall behind him and trying to regain his composure; he then made his way to the HQ, and pushed open the door.

"Harry Potter sir" Dick greeted

"Greetings Dick"

"What happened sir?" Dick asked with concern

"We couldn't save the victim, and Vlad sustained moderate wounds"

"Sorry to here that sir"

"Not to worry; I have good new too, we caught or killed all of them save one who escaped after stunning detective Granger"

Harry then looked at Dick with weird eyes "So, have you to talked to her yet"

"Who?" Dick said feigning confusion.

"You know who I'm talking about; so don't play fool. I know you fancy Sofia since the beginning of the team"

"I-I …" Dick stuttered blushing fiercely

"Don't tell me you didn't; I haven't order you to contact her constantly just for information ya' know"

"Actually I … I was giving it a thought"

"Don't think about it Dick, just do it; you don't know when you will get another chance. Anyway, enough of that matter, I think that this time we caught them off guard and they didn't have the time to remove the magic signature of the curse; I want you to send this report to the Professor Malfoy in UK and tell him that more details will be available by tomorrow"

"I'll do it right away sir"

"Has Ron came yet"

AS he finished the question the door opened and Ron entered the HQ "Oi Harry, you are early" Ron exclaimed

Harry shrugged and answered "If you considered taking two hours to finish my chores early, then I suggest you check your biological clock"

Ron was shocked at Harry's answer; then he shook his head stating "Honestly, if there was anyone who considered taking down three death eaters single-handedly a chore, it would be you Harry"

"You know me mate; abnormal since my birth" Harry said smiling

"Actually; I was going to say extraordinary" Ron chuckled; then continued "Anyway, what's with the sword?"

"First your debrief" Harry said gaining him a disapproval grunt from Ron; but a firm look from Harry forced Ron to submit to his leader's 'order'

"OK; after the duel between you and the death eaters, me and Granger looked for McLaden who was in the ruined building; you did a great job by destroying the street and the surrounding building. We found McLaden injured and as soon as we reached him the building began to collapse, and without thinking I … Apparated them"

"WHAT?" Harry shouted "You apparated two muggles? Are you mad? They could be suspecting you by now"

"I didn't have much choice by then; the building was collapsing for God's sake"

Harry snorted and then asked the inevitable question "I hope you obliviated them after this 'undesirable' incident"

"Well … McLaden's injuries was critical, and the memory charm would cause further damage"

"I hope he is okay after that Reductor curse; I'm still wondering how he survived it" Harry stated in worry

"Don't worry mate; the Reductor didn't hit the bloke, as he dodged it" Ron said in cheery manner.

"Really! I never thought a muggle could dodge a normal curse let alone a Reductor"

"Well, you have to give those muggle detectives some credit mate, you sound as if you see them as hopeless bastards; they do have special training ya' know"

Harry chuckled at the comment but didn't say anything; and Ron continued his debrief "After we 'apparated' from the building, I escorted Pierce to the hospital and told Ginny to look after him personally"

"Well, that's good thinking from you at least for once in this bloody debrief; and I hope she don't give him any potions and cause more commotion among muggles"

"You know her Harry, the brains of the family; and quite hardheaded as a matter of fact. If she wanted to give him potions there is no force on earth that could prevent her from doing so" Ron stated with a sly grin; and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Anyway" Harry said wryly "About that detective Granger; have you obliviated her?"

"Didn't have a chance actually; your unfortunate encounter with her caused her to go hysterical; and there is no way I could obliviate her without doing permanent memory damage; and this time it is your fault" Ron said with a mischievous grin.

"I give up" Harry said holding his hands up "I should have known better that to enter an argue with a Weasley"

"That's true" Ron said in a victorious tone "And it's your turn mate; what's with the… BLOODY HELL HARRY DON'T DO THAT"

Dick almost doubled with laughter because Harry drew his sword in a swift move and placed the blade's tip under Ron's chin; causing the latter to trip with surprise and terror. Harry himself laughed hard to Ron's reaction.

"Sorry mate" Harry said containing the laughter "Couldn't resist", Ron looked at his friend with killing leers

"Don't you ever do that again" Ron shouted warningly while standing "I thought you were going to slit my throat"

"No way mate; who will argue with me then" Harry said chuckling

"Well … I know certain redhead who is infatuated with you and can make a good arguing wife" Ron replied with an evil grin

"That is low Ron" Harry said uncomfortably "You know better that to use your sister's emotions in teasing me; maybe I should tell her about it"

"You wouldn't dare" Ron looked horrified, and Harry looked at him victoriously "I won this time mate"

"That was so Slytherin of you" Ron stated "But enough of this matter; tell me about the sword, where did you get it from?"

"It has been mine" Harry answered flashing the side of the sword and handed it to Ron who grab it and looked at it with awe

"Godric Gryffindor" Ron said in surprise, causing Dick to look at Harry in the same awe "But I thought it has been destroyed in the final battle, and this is not its former shape" Ron said while looking at the Japanese katana

"Well, it has been remade; and it is now Godric's Katana" Harry answered his friend; who turned the sword showing the other side where Japanese letters where carved.

"What does it mean?" Ron asked with interest.

"Phoenix Sword …" Harry answered him and began to tell his story with the sword … And his destiny.

FLASHBACK

After the final battle, Harry thought he was free; and that the death of his arch-nemesis means the end of his problems; but his feeling was on the contrary of that; he felt the victory so hollow, and so bothering, so lost. He left his position as a Senior Auror and declined the position of Director of Auror Department; and went on a long journey around the world for two purposes; repairing Gryffindor's sword as it has been shattered by the sheer strength of the exchanged spells during the final battle, and looking for an answer for his discomfort. He traveled through the coldness of tundra, the heat of the desert, and the dampness of the tropics; he checked in all the magical villages in these places, he even checked the magical libraries around the world, including the Library of Alexandria; which was hidden by wizard sages to protect it from destruction by Roman legions; the guardian of library handed him a letter that addressed to him by no other than his mentor, Albus Dumbledore; it contained instruction of what to do after he destroy Voldemort and, for his surprise, what to do if the sword was broken. There was a map that showed place that has become the end of his almost two-month journey; Okinawa Island, Japan.

Harry apparated directly from Alexandria to Okinawa International Apparition Zone; he made his way to Matsurumi village, the last magical village in all Japan. He reached the village by night as there was no floo connection to any place in the village and he didn't know where to floo to if there ever was. As he reached the village, he asked the inhabitants for directions to the swordsmith dwelling. He was directed to a humble house in the outskirts that shows no signs of living, he entered with caution.

"Tatsuya-san" Harry called entering a semi-dim room; only to feel a tip of a Japanese sword under his chin; the sword itself was held by a person who was concealed in the darkness of the corner. They stood without a move for a minute that seemed to Harry like eternity, and then the dark figure withdrew the sword and came out of the darkness.

"Too slow, Harry Potter-san" said the person who was an old man, even older than what Dumbledore was; but his swift and silent moves was so much like him "From what I heard from my old friend Dumbledore-san; you are much quicker"

"I was taken aback by your swiftness, sir" Harry said with awe

"But what if I was an enemy" Tatsuya said in scolding tone "I would not give you the luxury of being taken aback; I would slit your throat and go on with my business"

Harry looked uncomfortable by that statement, and followed the elder swordsman who sat down behind a Japanese-style low table and ushered him sit opposite of him.

"Constant Vigilance, young man, always be in the state of constant vigilance; those who live your life must be in that state" Harry hardly contained a laugh as he heard the elder man saying Mad-Eye Moody's motto.

"Anyway" The elder said "I assume you came here to realign the sword … And your troubled mind", Harry's eyeballs almost poked out of there sockets and he said in stuttered-mumble "H-How did …"

"I always knew; as a matter of fact I was the one who foresaw the events of the final battle" Tatsuya stated coolly, "Also I advised Dumbledore to write you these instructions you came passing by"

Harry didn't say anything as he was shocked by these statements; Tatsuya ignored his looks and asked him "May I see the sword please? … Arigato" he said when harry handed him a worn bag; Tatsuya opened the bag and emptied its contents on the table.

"Ah, the great sword of Gryffindor" Tatsuya said while assessing the sword's condition "Of course I expected it not to meet Japanese standards, but I didn't know that the European blacksmiths were so … crude" Harry was shocked again, he never thought that any sword could surpass the beauty of Gryffindor' sword.

"Sir, this sword is the finest one in all Europe" Harry said hoping to regain some dignity for the sword.

"I should have known; because those so-called 'Blacksmiths' are not capable of making scrap metal look shiny, let alone a sword" Harry barely controlled his temper at the old man's statement.

"So, you think you can make it better" Harry said acidly

"I thought you'd never ask" Tatsuya replied and shoved the sword shards back into the bag and place it beside him; he looked intently at Harry before speaking.

"So, what else brought you here, young man?" He asked with a calm tone while pouring some green tea for both of them

Harry regained his composure and accepted the cup of tea from the elderly before speaking "Actually I was traveling around the world looking for answer for …"

"Your emptiness, your discomfort" Harry body tense and looked at the old swordsman with sheer shock; he hit the bull's eye.

"Are you reading my mind old man? Because I didn't feel any probing" Harry looked skeptically at the elderly who was drinking his tea calmly.

"Rest assured" Tatsuya answered him "I didn't read your mind baka; I told you before that I foresaw the events of the final battle, and every events followed it"

Harry ignored the insult and asked "Care to explain everything old man?"

Tatsuya stood up and turned his back to Harry while looking through a window "If you want an explanation then listen to me and spare me from your brilliant comments", then he took a deep breath and resumed.

"At the dawn of magic, when the people were all muggles; a magical essence divided and four creatures with magical abilities where created, a Phoenix, a Badger, a Raven, and a Basilisk. The four creatures lived side by side as brethren, but the basilisk thought due to their 'Superior' powers they should enslave the humans; an opinion that was not accepted by his brethren. He soon left them and sought to accomplish his goals; he killed and slaughtered many humans leaving a path of destruction behind him. His brethren felt his pure hatred and evil via a link that has been erected between the four of them by the magical essence; they went on a journey for their brother and help him redeem his former self, but they were late; for the basilisk attempted to kill a pregnant woman but a force repelled him before he make the kill. The sheer power of the force was too much for his body to sustain, so he died; but not before he passed his magical inheritance to the unborn child of his victim and then burst into green flames that consumed his body vowing to return one day the shape he despise; a human. The tree brethren reached the pregnant woman and attempted to treat the woman whose water was broken; the phoenix used its tears to heal the wounds of the woman, the raven places its wing under her head and comfort her, the badger dug the earth and looked for a remedy for her pain. The woman gave birth to a boy; the first human with magical ability; but alas, the mother died much in vain to their effort"

Tatsuya returned to his seat opposite to Harry; who was so absorbed in the story.

"The three brethren vowed to raise the child and teach him to control his ability, and the boy himself was so adept in this aspect; he mastered his magic by the age of ten; the age which the young wizards now are to attend the schools of magic; but by the age of twenty the three brethren felt the nearing of the end of their journey in the world, and passed all their magic into the boy; who became a young man; the raven and the badger passed peacefully, but the phoenix vowed to return as a human and protect humanity from the wrath of his brother; the basilisk. The young man traveled the world aiding the people against evil; after twenty years of traveling he reached his last stop, Britania. He aided a young man there to pull a sword out of a stone and claim the kingship of the whole island …"

Harry interrupted the elderly "You don't mean …"

"Yes" Tatsuya nodded "The king you know as Arthur of Camelot; and the Wizard was Merlin, the first wizard on Earth. After aiding King Arthur in his quest, he was granted a manor where he lived a happy married life. He had four children, those who were detained to be the descendants of the four founders of Hogwarts. The founders were named after their descendants; Godric the Griffin (Means the Phoenix); Helga of the Huffing Puff (Pertaining to her anger of anything messes with the Nature; as the Badger was); Rowena the Raven (For sheer raven-black hair); and Salazar the Slithering (For his snake-like method of gaining glory); their names has been distorted to the ones you know. Merlin passed them the essence of the four founders of magic; Gordric was passed the courage and loyalty of the Phoenix; Helga was passed the power of Nature and the ability to utilize the earth's power and plants; Rowena was passed the wisdom and the intellect of the Raven; and Salazar, as you know, was passed the resourcefulness and the lust for power as the Basilisk"

Tatsuya paused for a minute and looked at Harry to see the effect of his words, then resumed "The founders of Hogwarts passed their magical essence to many of their descendants who form most of Erath populous today; most of them turned squibs; whom we know as muggles, but even these squibs have given birth to full wizards and witches; those who are known as muggle-borns and half-bloods. But only one family are considered a direct descendant of every founder; the Gaunts are the descendants of Salazar Slythrin; the Sprouts are of Hufflepuff; The Clearwaters are of Ravenclaw; and for Gryffindor are … The Potters"

Harry now was in a state of shock "So, I'm …"

"The last descendant of Godric Gryffindor" Tatsuya stated "And the descendant of the Phoenix"

"But I thought Dumbledore was …" Harry interjected

"He was a Gryffindor indeed, but not as a direct descendant; he might have been a Phoenix animagus, but he didn't have the phoenix essence within him. Do you remember the time when you drew this sword out of Gryffindor's hat, only Gryffindor's descendants are able to do so. And do you remember your incident with the basilisk; if you have accidentally looked into its eyes you wouldn't have been petrified, and even if Fawkes hadn't healed you by its tears you would heal naturally; all that because you have the Phoenix Essence; also you can't control the dark arts nor the unforgivables. Harry, that is because you are the Phoenix"

Harry was feeling dizzy because of all this information "So, if I am the Phoenix incarnation, then Voldemort was indeed …"

"The Humans doom, the Basilisk …" Tatsuya answered

"But then, I defeated him, so my purpose is fulfilled. I shouldn't be alive" Harry stated confusingly

"Your first purpose is fulfilled indeed, but the Phoenix true purpose is to protect the Human race from the basilisk descendant and his followers and to insure that the line of Gryffindor will not extinct. I have foresaw these events as I told you, and I have seen the darkness enveloping the planet, and a phoenix burned to ashes; and his fire illuminates the Earth and removing the shadow of darkness"

"What does that mean" Harry asked in total confusion.

"It means that the Phoenix descendant will smite the pure evil that comes to Earth, but it will not be accomplished without self-sacrifice" the elder stated calmly, and Harry looked worried and angry "It means I will die in order to save the world; brilliant … Just brilliant. And here I was complaining of boredom after fulfilling the former prophecy that indicates that I have a 'possibility' of dying; not you tell me plainly that I die!"

"It is not my own words baka; it is simply the explanation of the prophecy" Tatsuya said coolly "And you might want to know that in our knowledge as seers; Phoenix sacrifice is not something foreseen usually, it is something considered … Noble; which I can hardly fit you in"

Harry became irritated of the old man's comments "Listen old man, I had enough of that smart-mouth of yours; if you weren't on the edge of the grave I would've kicked your oriental arse"

"I would like to see you try …" and the both stood up, and Tatsuya set the table aside by a wave of his hand.

"That does it" Harry shouted angrily "Reducto", but nothing came out of his wand. Harry looked at his wand in confusion and shouted again "Rectusempra", yet nothing came.

"Only passive magic is allowed in these premises" Tatsuya stated calmly, and then grabbed suddenly by his shirt "And hand-to-hand combat", and he threw him across the room "No offensive spells, and no apparition".

Harry felt every bone in his body screaming crashed into the wooden wall; he stood quickly regaining his composure and dignity, and took the boxing stance as he saw Dudley do it.

"Now you understand me; but not enough" as he finished his sentence he disappeared and appeared beside Harry, and without warning he delivered a strong elbow blow to Harry's side pushing him through the wall into the garden. Harry tried to jump up, but he felt a presence behind him, and then heard a voice "Yield"

"Never" Harry hissed; he never backed off from a fight, and this will not be his first.

"Yield or die young man, it's your choice"

"I will die fighting; not leaning as a coward" Harry spit the words acidly

"Too bad; it was good knowing you" And he tightened his fist into delivered a rock-solid punch.

Harry didn't know what happened; but he felt the time slow down, and he tilted his head right dodging the punch barely as it grazed his temple. He then jumped up and took a defensive stance.

"Interesting" Tatsuya said "It seems some of the traits Dumbledore told me about are beginning to show up"

"What traits?" Harry said gasping from the effort he took dodging the deathblow.

"Your agility, pride, and the ability to think on your feet" Tatsuya stated "but your constant dependence on magic is what weakens you"

"Well, I think me speed is nothing compared to yours" Harry complimented "And by the way what about your statement of no apparition or magic, you seem to apparate easily within the wards"

"Who said I apparated" the old man shrugged his arms "I merely leaped to your side"

Harry looked in amazement, and then asked slyly "Care to teach me these fancy moves; or it is for Japanese only"

Tatsuya looked at Harry firmly and said "If you want to learn how to fight you better ask nicely; I only accept students not court jesters, and students must treat their sensei with respect as they are honored to be chosen as his students. Now, try again"

Harry gritted his teeth looking to the ground and spoke slowly "Would you honor me by accepting me as your student …" and then looked up and met Tatsuya's eyes "Sensei"

Tatsuya nodded with agreement "I only accept because I see that you have the qualities and the potential of a fighter" then he pointed a finger at Harry and resumed "But you must control your short temper, as it will lead you nowhere near success"

The next eight months of Harry's life in Matsurumi village was full of action, physical training; including hand-to-hand combat like Karate, Jujitsu and Japanese Sword Fighting, mental training including applying Legilimensy without the enemy feeling the probe, and sharpening his sixth sense. Also he learned some written knowledge; as Tatsuya allowed Harry to enter his family's most ancient secret, the Sacred Library of Japan.

"I will not live long, and wanted to have an heir to take care of my family's most sacred possessions; I have chosen you to be my heir. These scrolls contain ancient spells that no human in the world ever encountered, as it was invented and developed by my ancestors; I trust you will put it in good use"

Harry bended his head in appreciation "I am honored by your trust sensei"

Harry went through drastic life-threatening situations and calm situations during his training; Tatsuya's reason for this was that life itself is neither total peace nor absolute war, and if Harry has to be the one who leads the world through the bouts darkness he must master his mind in both peace and war. Harry himself became calm and understanding of his master's reasons; in fact he began to treat Tatsuya as a father he never knew.

One night during the last month of his stay, Harry was revising some of the scrolls from the ancient library, while his master was drinking some green tea and seemed to be immersed in thought.

"Sensei" Harry called quietly.

"Yes Harry-kun" Tatsuya replied

"When I first cam here and you told me the story of magic, you said a prophecy about the Phoenix sacrifice …" Harry stopped gathering his thoughts

"Yes" Tatsuya ushered him to continue

"You said that the Phoenix sacrifice is not usual to occur and it is noble, what did you mean by that?"

The elderly looked with understanding "Ah … you see, the Phoenix does not sacrifice himself for anybody, only those he seems deeply in love with are worthy of his sacrifice"

"You mean like family or friends?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Family and friends are close to a person's heart, but not so close as a soul mate"

Harry looked with more confusion "You mean like a … Girlfriend"

"A girlfriend-boyfriend relation is merely a superficial and passing interest, but a soul mate is the person whom you are in deep affection with, the person whom you cannot live without, the one who will carry the essence of the Phoenix through the line of the Potters, your future wife"

Harry was dumbfounded from the last statement "So, she is the girlfriend after all"

"Every soul mate is a girlfriend, but not every girlfriend is a soul mate" Tatsuya stated coolly

"So, how will I find this … Soul Mate?"

"You will not find her … But your heart will"

The conversation ended with this open-end. The month has passed and Harry prepared his belongings to return to England.

"You seemed to be prepared to leave, are you that anxious to leave this place" Tatsuya asked comically while holding an object concealed under a cloth.

"Not at all sir, but I wanted to bother you no longer with my presence" Harry said politely.

"Enough of your silver tongue" Tatsuya replied with a chuckle "I brought you something" and pulled the cloth revealing a sheathed katana.

"This is your sword; or, as a matter of fact, katana … Godric's Katana" he said unsheathing the sword and revealing the name written in English and Japanese.

"I took the liberty of adding a phoenix feather to the core of the handle of the sword enabling you to use magic through it; Fawkes' feather to be precise"

"Fawkes!" Harry said in astonishment as the phoenix flew through the door and landed gracefully on Harry's shoulder, who gave it a joyful stroke.

"Dumbledore told me to take care of him if something happened to him, I apologize of not telling you so soon; but I wanted you to concentrate on your training"

"It's all right" Harry said still stroking the bird "I just feel sad because I will leave when I just met my old friend again"

Tatsuya smiled before saying "Actually, this 'old friend' will accompany you on your journey"

Harry barely contained his joy and bowed thanking his old master "Thank you very much sensei"

"Now let me continue; a regular wizard or witch needs a catalyst for his/her magic to take effect, a wand in this case; highly trained wizards, like the aurors, can use a limited number of spells wandlessly. In your case, your natural talent and your heritage the Phoenix Essence aided you in mastering most of the magic spells and curses, save the unforgivables of course. Your wand merely strengthen your non-elemental magic; but by this sword you can harness the power of elemental magic easily; this includes the five elements of Nature; Fire, Water, Lightening, Air, and Earth. Your mastery of the non-elementals will still be the same; and your inability to cast the unforgivables correctly still unchanged; just remember when to use magic and when to refer to hand-to-hand combat"

Harry bowed again "I will keep that in mind sensei"

Tatsuya nodded calmly and smiled "Just remember where to go when you need council"

END OF FLASHBACK

"Brilliant Harry" Ron exclaimed in shock "So, you are the owner of Fawkes now, absolutely brilliant"

"Just wait to see him, he seemed to gang up with Headwig against me" Harry stated "Though they seem attracted to each other in some degree"

"Oh, cheer up, Harry; I think you will be the first to own a baby of a phoenix and an owl" Ron said but shuddered at the image "Though I don't want to even imagine it; what will you call the new creature by the way … Owenix?"

Dick, who listened to the whole conversation, laughed loudly at the name "It is a name of a pig Wes, not a bird; I suggest the name Phowl"

"This sounds like a name of a snake or another dark creature" Ron protested

"Let's drop the matter for now" Harry said dismissively "We have a case in our hand"

"True" Ron agreed "And your destiny to discuss; too bad you finished from a prophecy to be part of another"

"Well, who said that my life ever been easy?" Harry shrugged his shoulders while stating.

"True again" Ron said "And this sacrifice codswallop, it seems that you will die 100 this time; at least it tell us that you will die for your true love; I wonder who is the bonnie lass" Ron ended his statement with a mischievous grin, and Harry blushed slightly answering "I dunno"

"Well, I have a certain redhead as a candidate, or …" Ron stopped while remembering something "that Granger lass" and Harry's heart gave a throb and he blushed even more.

Ron continued his mischief "Now that's brilliant, she is an excellent candidate; with curves and all …"

"RON" that was from Harry who has now turned bead-red.

"Ho, ho … have I triggered a sensitive subject" Ron said teasingly, and Dick clutched his stomach with laughter.

"Ron, I swear … If you don't stop I'll hex you to next week" Harry said while fighting the blush.

Ron held his hands up "Okay, okay … Sheesh; anyway I think I know how will we introduce you to the detectives without causing much commotion"

"Really" Harry exclaimed and looked with a hint of interest.

"Yeah, trust me on that; and after you meet that Granger girl I will begin planning your bachelor party" Ron said grinning evilly

"RON" Harry blushed again, and Dick entered another fit of laughter.

------------------------------------

"YOU IDIOT" a thunderous voice roared at the death eater who fled the scene and pushed him magically to the wall.

"B-But master … Cough … Potter n-never gave me the time, he t-took down my comrades easily"

"You should do was you have to regardless of the situation, now they will know the spell we used on the victims" Flint bellowed at the frightened death eater.

"I insist that I couldn't face Potter alone, he is a force to be reckoned with" the death eater said in frightened voice "This problem …"

"… Is not your concern anymore; AVADA KEDVRA INFINITI" The young Dark Lord fired his favorite curse on the intimidated death eater, who never had time to scream as a chain of killing curses made its way to him.

"Senior Flint, this was not our deal, hombre" a short half-muscled, half-fat male came bursting into the room.

"Mister Muerte" Flint turned to the chubby "I assure you that this is a common mistake"

"You said that your plan was tonto-prueba" Muerte exclaimed with evidence of anger flexing his arms.

Flint said without flinching "I assure you that my plan is indeed fool-proof, but we encountered certain … Difficulties"

Muerte exploded with laughter "And you said you are special with your so-called magia"

Flint didn't lost his coolness and said "Well … These difficulties are in the form of aurors and especially the 'Death trackers', our counterparts"

"You are just making excuses now, gringo. A bullet in the head is what they worth" Muerte bellowed.

"If you insist, why don't you try it? Your best man against mine; survival of the fittest" Flint stated

"Now you're talking Holmes. Fernandez, you will fight" a 6'6" giant came into the room and stand flexing his muscles.

Flint smiled slyly and said "Nott" and a middle-sized man hooded came out of darkness which made Muerte flinch.

"Where the fuck did he came from?" Muerte spitted

"Oh, he was there all the time; meet my right-hand and second in power, Nott"

"This half half-macho doesn't scare me"

"Oh, I guarantee that you will change your, in this life or another" Flint said smiling, then walked to Nott and whispered "Toy with him a little before you place our signature"

They both took their stances; Fernandez pulled a Desert Eagle while Nott drew his wand.

"What!" Muerte said laughing loudly not missing the smile on his right-hand man face "Has he gone loco; fighting a gun with a stick"

"Oh, it's not a regular stick Muerte" Flint stated "It's his magic wand"

"Magia shmagia, I will see this myself …BEGIN" and Fernandez fired first.

Nott merely flicked his wand and a shield has erected and stopped the bullet; both gang-machos never saw the shield, but the bullet hit an invisible wall and drop soundly. Fernandez got angry and fired more bullets, but it was in vain as the bullets dropped before reaching Nott.

"Idiota, fight him with your fists" Muerte bellowed at his henchman, who took the cue, tightened his grip and charged like a raging bull.

Nott never moved, he jus pulled up his wand and shouted "Explodia" and a reddish purple curse erupted and flied toward the henchman causing his body above the waist to explode and, and segments of flesh and bone spread around the body.

Muerte stood speechless for a minute before muttering "I-I never saw anything like that in my life, he's just exploded"

"The power of magic at its best" Flint said smiling; and Muerte began to laugh like a maniac.

"Senior Muerte, have you gone loco" Flint said slyly quoting Muerte's previous statement on Nott.

"I will be a loco indeed if I crossed swords with you partner; or should I say wands" Muerte stated while laughing.

"What ever suits you partner" Flint said with a smile.

Muerte directed Flint out of the room saying "Come, Holmes. Let's celebrate the renewal of our alliance; my whole fortune is at your disposal"

"I have to talk with Nott for a minute, excuse me" Flint said while walking toward Nott.

"I will wait for you in the dining room then" and Muerte exited the room.

"Fool, if he only knew what we will do with his so-called fortune. Nott, remove the magical signature from this idiot's remains and ignite it, I want you to talk the matters at hand and remove the magical signature from the body that idiot left it; you may begin when you are ready, and I do not tolerate failure" Flint instructed Nott, who never expressed any emotions, but nodded with agreement and said "And if I encountered any difficulties?"

Flint narrowed his eyes and replied "Eradicate it immediately"

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A/N:_** Phew, that was the longest chapter I ever written in my life, but it worth it and I had fun writing it, some words arein Japanese and Latina, I will translate it here: 

_1- Japanese:_

San: Sir (Formal address in Japanese)

Arigato: Thank you (Also; Arigato gosimus; formally)

Baka: Stupid (In Japanese; Harry no baka means 'Stupid Harry')

Sensei: Master (The one who trains students in self-defense; also Sama means master but it actually means lord and addressed for Japanese noblemen)

Katana: Sword

_2- Latino:_

Senior: sir (Formal address in Latino).

Hombre: man, human.

Holmes: buddy (Same as amigo).

Tono-prueba: Fool-proof (Tono Fool; Preuba Proof)

Gringo: Foreigner (Derogatory)

Idiota: Idiot.

Macho: Masculine.

Loco: Crazy

Magia: Magic (Well, that was an easy one)

I will take my time for chapter 7, for it will contain hints of some major turning points.

Read and Review pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease …


	7. Joining Forces

**_Disclaimer:_** I'm going to buy Harry Potter and characters from J.K. Rowling… But I need to raise some money first, say … couple o' millions maybe?

**_A/N:_** I'm sorry for not updating for along time, but as it appears only a few readers appear to be intersted; anyway I just want to Thank **Jarno** for his review, and ... On with the story

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Joining Forces

Pierce opened his eyes slowly finding himself looking at a sky-blue ceiling; he took a deep breath almost wincing in pain, and a smell of disinfectant came to his nose before descending to his lungs, he coughed in response and remained lying; lids closed. A minute has passed before he heard someone opening the door to the room, and a sweet smell of jasmine filled his lungs this time; he felt so refreshed by the smell and didn't want to exhale it. He turned his head to see the owner of this sweet smell only to catch the face of a red-haired young doctor, he looked into her eyes and felt as if all the worries came down of his shoulders; he felt so relieved. They stood like this for a couple of seconds before she stepped into the room with smile on her face that Pierce can only describe it as an 'Angel Smile'; and he was the first to break the silence.

"Am I in Heaven?" Pierce asked jokily grinning.

"Not yet …" He felt his heart float as she spoke the words in a voice that suits her angelic face.

"Bummer" Pierce replied instantly "Because I thought you were an Angel"; he nearly swore that he saw a hint of blush in her cheeks at his words.

"Actually, you were nearly there; but thank Mer … God you weren't" She said trying to regain her composure.

"Well, I still have miles to creep and promises to keep before going" Pierce said comically; and his heart leapt again as he heard her chuckle softly 'She can't be a mere human' he thought to himself 'She is truly an Angel'

Pierce kicked himself mentally before going deep in his thoughts _'You are a family man dammit; you have a wonderful wife and a sweet daughter, so stop acting like a Hormone-Raged teenager; she has a hot body, yes; but you are loyal to your wife and you hit on girls just to tease her'_

"Mr. McLaden, are you alright?" the doctor looked at him with confusion.

"Yes" Pierce snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at her.

"I was just saying that even with your stable condition you have to take long vacation; even consider a career change" She said warily

"WHAT? Is my injury that serious?" Pierce exclaimed almost jumping out of bed; he groaned at his sore body, but he froze as he felt a hand on his shoulder and another on his chest; the doctor was at his side pushing him gently back to the bed, he felt his soreness fade away by the gentle touch of hers _'Who is she?'_ he thought to himself again _'I never felt that jumpy except when I first met Lydia; is it …'_ he chased the thought away violently causing the doctor more concern.

"Mr. McLaden" The doctor said with a worried voice "Do you need to sleep a little bit?"

"No, please carry on Dr …" Pierce said shaking his head

"Weasley …" The doctor said causing Pierce to become notice suddenly

"Are you by any chance …" Pierce asked slowly "Related to Ronald Weasley?"

"Yes, actually he is my brother, why?" She said calmly.

"Nothing …" _'Well, that's another reason for not hitting on her, Wes boy might skin me alive'_ Pierce gave himself a mental note.

"Mr. McLaden, I have to inform you that your condition may turn really serious if you continued your work in the police force; the action will only cause more complications; your bones cannot take more hits" Ginny said in a doctor tone, but he can here a hint of concern in her voice.

"Please doctor, can't you do anything that can help me regain my former health, because I won't leave my job; my partners, including your brother, depend on me; and I won't let them down" He said the last words firmly

Ginny looked stunned before blurting "I know, he can be a pain in the arse sometimes; he never changes since the days of Hogwa …" her speech came to a halt as she registered what she were about to say; but not fast enough as Pierce was processing every word she said.

"Yes …" the now-alerted Pierce said encouraging her to continue

"Nothing, I want to say that he never changed since we were young" Ginny lied, but her eyes betrayed her as she couldn't sell a lie to a dunce, let alone a police detective and a shrewd like Pierce, but he didn't push her any longer and made a mental note to speak with her again, at dinner. He smiled at the last thought his trademark smile (Smiling by his right side of his mouth) before returning to the main topic.

"So" Pierce said "Can you help me keep my job, Dr. Weasley" he look straightly at her eyes causing her to feel avert her looks. She thought for a minute before speaking.

"Mr. McLaden"

"Please, just call me Pierce" He said smiling

"And you call me Ginny" She returned the smile; and he felt himself melting at her sweet smile, and her silky red lips even made it more wonderful.

"I have one solution for this; the problem is that the solution is a bit … Unofficial" She said mysteriously.

"I'll take anything" Pierce said hastily with a glint of hope in his eyes "I'm not a man who is give a damn about the rules" Smiling as he remembered his hacker days at college and after.

"Then give me a minute to bring the potion" Ginny said happily pacing toward the door that opened suddenly and an olive skinned starry eyes woman stepped in.

"Pierce" The woman exclaimed; and Ginny stepped back giving the woman some space to move in, who paced toward the bed and hugged Pierce tightly.

"Good morning Lydia" Pierce smiled with true happiness at the woman who was no other than his beloved wife.

"You fool" Lydia said sobbing "I knew one day you will be injured so badly; I don't want my daughter to be orphaned that fast"

Pierce returned the Hug with his free arm before speaking "Don't worry love. You know that I'm too stubborn to die that easily"

"I'll leave you two to yourselves" Ginny said softly before stepping out of the room.

"Who is she" Lydia asked her husband.

"She is my savior" Pierce said comically "And she coincidently appears to be my partner's sister"

"Hermione? I never knew she had a sister" Lydia cocked her eyebrows.

"No, not Hermione; our new partner Ronald Weasley. You have to meet him one day, he's a cool guy, and he's British" Pierce answered

"He is too! Looks like Britain will soon have no detectives" Lydia said jokily and Pierce laughed at her comment.

Lydia suddenly kissed her husband on the lips catching him off guard "What's the occasion?" Pierce asked

Lydia smiled an evil smile before answering "I knew you won't remember" she kissed him again "Happy anniversary"

"Ah, damn" Pierce clapped his forehead "Sorry love, I didn't buy you a gift yet, but as soon as these doctors release me I mmff …" he was muffled as she kissed him before he complete his sentence.

"I don't need any gifts" Lydia said slowly "You are the best gift I ever had"

Pierce felt his heart glow "I love you" he said before kissing her.

"Where is it? I know it's here" Ginny muttered while searching her locker

"Gotcha" Someone screamed from behind

"Eeeeep" Ginny screamed in ear piercing sound

"Awww, I think my eardrums have ruptured" Alicia said putting her hands on her ears.

"You deserve that" Ginny replied angrily "Don't you ever sneak up on me again; it is my specialty and I don't want any competition" She said the last words smiling.

"You are no fun" Alicia pouted before continuing "What are you looking for anyway?"

"My poti … err … Bottles; yes, I had a couple of bottles in my bag and now I can't seem to find them" Ginny said biting her tongue; this is the second time she was about to expose her true identity.

"You mean these?" Alicia said half-heartedly pulling her right hand from behind her back; Ginny snatched the bottle from her best friend's hand giving her a killing glare

"Alicia, how dare you snoop around other people properties?" Ginny shouted angrily.

"It was only a peak" Alicia said "And what are those by the way; they are not drinks or meds, they don't even have labels on them"

"Curiosity Killed the Cat" Ginny said annoyed and checking the bottles "And don't do that ever again"

"Boo-hoo, you are no fun" Alicia said pouting as Ginny was walking out of the room.

Alicia unintentionally disturbed her mood; she was feeling so happy and so full of affection. This strange man made her re-live her teenage years and disturbed her hormones so … unintentionally. She didn't feel like that since she met Harry, does that mean … No, it couldn't and it shouldn't; he is a married man and she does not want to hurt his wife.

Ginny reached Pierce room and was about to open the room, but her mind told her not to; she leaned by the door to listen. They were talking about their anniversary; this is another reason she didn't want to hurt them, they are a happy family, and she is just another unlucky lass.

She knocked the door politely before entering "I got the medication Mr. McLaden" She said his formal name while he looked quizzically "Keep in mind that it is 'Unofficial', so you have to stick to my directions"

"It is … Safe?" Lydia looked at the unrecognizable bottle in Ginny's hand.

"Very safe Mrs. McLaden" Ginny answered "But its unsafety can be triggered, as any other drug, by not following the instructions. First, you must take one tablespoonful every six hours for one day, and do not miss a single dose or the medication will not take its full effect. Secondly, you will feel certain side effects, like bone itching and restlessness; unfortunately these side effects are necessary as they indicate that the drug is taking effect, so bed resting is mandatory"

Lydia looked in victory at her husband "At last I can get you to rest, and it is now mandatory" Pierce groaned at her remark.

Ginny continued "Lastly, the remains of the bottle must be emptied in the sink and the bottle itself should be washed thoroughly before being disposed properly"

"Is that all … Ginny"

"Yes it is; your discharge papers will be finished in a few minutes; and I will visit first thing in the morning to check your progress personally"

"Thanks Ginny" Pierce smiled at her, and was surprised she didn't return his smile like before.

"No need to thank me, it is my job after all … Mr. McLaden" and she stepped out of the room.

"Isn't she nice, it's the first time I see a doctor that concerned about any patient" Lydia exclaimed happily.

"Yes she is" Pierce answered while pondering _'She want to play it the hard way, huh. Well, I'm not the man who back off from a challenge'_

His thoughts where interrupted by her wife's calling "Shall we go dear?"

"No, absolutely not Ron" Harry said firmly "Why do I need to do that?"

"Because …" Ron said pressing on his words "We don't want any other 'unfortunate' accidents"

"But we would look so suspicious; a detective got transferred from England, that's you; and a private investigator, that is also British, investigating on the a case that by chance is the same case the police is investigating. Come on Ron, it cannot get any suspicious than that" Harry said sarcastically.

"And it is the only Plan we got, unless you have another one" Ron replied firmly.

Harry stared at Ron with silent and seemed to be processing the plan in his mind, and then after a minute he spoke "Okay, I will accept it for now, but if anything went wrong I'll quit it immediately"

"Just don't quit because someone patted your shoulder from behind" Ron said wryly.

"Ron … I'm warning you" Harry said pointing at Ron as blood rushed to his head.

"Okay, okay … Hothead" Ron muttered, and Harry pretended he hasn't heard the comment.

"When should I start then, genius?"

"Today"

"Today! But it is Sunday" Harry protested

"Come on Harry; did you think that only the aurors work on the weekends? And Pierce will be at hospital for at least ten days so you won't have any problem of being exposed quickly as he was the one who overlooked the duel" Ron said with fervor.

"He never took a detailed look at us, but that Granger girl saw at least a glimpse of my face in the ally, and she may recognize me"

"Don't worry mate, your Quidditch maneuvers plus the results of your unknown training caused her quite a shock yesterday. I doubt she will remember anything today because she has gone all hysterical yesterday" Ron answered howled with laughter, and Harry felt much remorse in his heart.

"I truly didn't want to hurt her" Harry said with sorrow.

"You didn't do anything mate, you just did what you had to do, even if it freaked her a little"

"A little! It freaked her a lot from my point of view"

"Anyway, let's be on our way; it is almost time, and don't forget your papers" Ron said looking at his watch, and they both stepped out of the HQ.

Hermione sat up from her bed gasping; she looked around trying to grasp her surroundings.

"What happened?" She said loudly before noticing she is at her flat.

_'Last thing I remember is walking through the alley, then … Nothing'_ she looked worried _'I don't remember a thing, what happened between the time of the alley and now; al I can remember is … Nothing'_. She glanced at the electronic calendar which was flashing 'Sunday'; _'At least I didn't miss a single day'_.

Her chain of thoughts was interrupted by the ringing phone; she stood up and made her way to the kitchen counter where the phone was.

"Hello"

"Hermione dear" a woman voice came out of the speaker.

"Mom, why are you calling that early?" Hermione said in mixture of surprise and annoyance as she picked the clock beside her bed

"Thank God you are all right, it was the only way I could catch you, haven't you listened to any voice message on your recorder?"

"Actually, no … I was busy in the last few days and I didn't have the time" Hermione answered while turning on the screen of her voice message recorder, it was choking with messages.

"Please Hermione; give yourself a break, your father and I are very concerned about you, and your aunt made us feel no better"

"Aunt Janis! What has she said to you" Hermione asked with the more annoyance, her aunt was living in Los Angeles and was acting like a spy for her parents, she gave her parents the media's opinion on the police activities, which was no more correct than the tabloids, and the encounter last night will be on today's newspapers … Hermione groaned soundly.

"Something wrong dear?" Her mother sound came concerned from the speaker.

"Nothing you will not know today" Hermione said indifferently.

"We prefer to learn it from you young woman" Her father stern voice came from the speaker.

"MOM, are you on the speaker again" Hermione disgruntled.

"You know your father dear; he insisted to join the conversation" Her mother said while giggling at her bitterness.

"Well, shall you tell us what the bloody is happening down there?" Her father asked with the same stern tone, and she knew better than to clash heads with her father.

"Okay, okay … there is some commotion down here, but not to worry, we will control it in no time" Hermione said dismissively.

"Really! Do you consider a runaway Drug Lord 'some commotion'?" Her father said in a firm tone that barely covered a sarcastic one underneath.

"DAD! Don't make a fuss about it; you know I can handle this situation myself" Hermione almost yelled at her father.

"She is right Dan, maybe you need to relax a bit" Her mother said to her husband Dan Granger.

Hermione heard her father exhale loudly via the phone "You are right Emma; I'll get something to drink and you deal with your bloody daughter" Hermione heard her father's stinging words and couldn't help but to feel the stinging reaching her heart.

"Mom, what is wrong with dad? Has he returned to drinking again?"

She heard her mother sigh before answering "You have to understand your father dear, ever since you joined Scotland Yard he felt so uncomfortable seeing his daughter chasing criminal gits across the streets; and when you came with the transfer order to America, well … That was the last straw for him, he drowned his fear and sorrow in the bottle wanting to forget the fact that his daughter, his only and beloved daughter, has gone away from him, and now she is being chased down by a mad Drug Lord who wants her head …"

Hermione didn't comment, and an utter silence encased the conversation before her mother break the shell "So, I've called to give my condolences to you for the loss of your boyfriend"

"Thanks mom, I'm so sad too; we haven't even known each other for more that a month; and he is dead" Hermione sad as the sadness overcame her tone "Do you believe that we even didn't kiss?"

"Really! Well don't worry, I hope you overcome his loss and look for another boyfriend that will compensate you thoroughly; your father and I can't wait to see our grandchildren" Emma said in overjoyed tone, and Hermione felt herself blush "MOM"

"What? You can't blame me for wishing you the best; at least you will be occupied with your children and leave the job"

"I will never leave my job mom" Hermione said fiercely.

"I know, your rebellious nature wouldn't allow this for the time being, but you will let go of it eventually, as your father left his old rebellious ways the moment you were born"

"Really! My father WAS a rebel? I can't imagine that" Hermione said in surprise.

"You don't know half of it; he was the number one rebel of the college, and somewhat hippie too" Emma was enjoying the memories she pass on her daughter who was in a fit of laughter as she can hear through the phone.

"Mom; a rebel I can accept, but a HIPPIE" Hermione commented as she entered another fit of laughter.

"And a sour loser too; he once accepted a drinking match from one of the students there and took a beating, and got depressed for over a week; I have to remember showing you the college album next time we meet" Emma said in a meaningful tone.

"It may be a long time before we see each other mom" Hermione answered hesitantly, and then she heard a noise from her mother's side and she recognized her father's voice.

"Emma dear, you are right; I need to relax a bit" Dan said and Hermione felt uneasiness because she can hear a hint of victorious tone in her father's voice.

"Dad, what are you up to" Hermione said with a hint of fear.

"Your mother said I need to relax a bit; so I'm going to take her advice and take a vacation, I'll call work and inform my assistant to take the mater in her hands for the next couple of months; you and I are going on a vacation dear"

"Where to?" Hermione asked with caution.

"America of course" the victorious tone was now obvious in his voice, and she groaned loudly as she heard her mother chuckle.

"Please dad" Hermione said but she couldn't complete the sentence as her father interrupted her "Shove it young woman; we need a vacation and we need to see our daughter; so beat it" and the last thing she heard is her mother laughing loudly.

Hermione dragged herself to her bedroom and threw herself on her bed. "Unbelievable" She said loudly; she remained lying down for a minute before standing up and getting ready for another day at work.

----------------------------------

Ron pushed the doors of the precinct open while urging Harry to hurry up.

"Oi Harry, let's move along. Shall we?" Ron looked back and yelled at Harry who lagged behind staring at the lobby.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ron asked before hearing a commotion turning toward the lobby. The lobby was buzzing and some police officers are running back and forth between a couple of covered bodies. And captain Maronski was arguing with another officer.

"Captain Maronski, good morning sir" Ron greeted his boss half-heartedly.

"Do not SIR me young man; I'm not in the mood" Maronski rumbled

"What happened sir?" Ron asked nervously.

"Are you blind? Don't you see the bodies? Someone broke in the precinct and killed two officers"

"For what purpose?"

"God knows why; it is truly a scandal" Maronski replied breathing out loudly, then noticed Harry's presence and straightened his glasses before asking "And who might you be?"

"He is a private investigator sir" Ron answered hastily "He said he has vital information about the murders"

"Humph, so what if he has; the feds are taking over the case" Maronski said in the same angry manner and pointed at formally dressed men.

"WHAT?" Ron exclaimed "I can't believe it?"

"Believe it … Detective Weasley I presume" A stone-faced man advanced toward our heroes.

"Yes, and who might you be?" Ron asked bitterly

"Special agent Johnson, FBI; we are taking over the case as you people seem to be … Incompetent" Johnson said with a hint of sneer in his voice.

"INCOMPETENT? Who is the incompetent you git …" Ron said and was about to throw himself on the FBI agent, but Harry pulled him back

"Don't Ron, he is not worth it" Harry said calmly.

Johnson didn't flinch, and kept his stone face while saying "Give me a reason to snatch your badge" then he stared down at Harry before asking "Are you a detective too?"

"A private detective" Harry stared directly at the agent's eyes.

Agent Johnson twisted his face in disapproval "We do not allow PIs to meddle with our cases"

Before Harry was able to say anything, Ron blurted "Maybe you, but he is a vital witness for us"

Harry felt annoyed at Ron's statement and looked back to Johnson, who scowled at what he heard "Then he will answer to us FBI"

"Sorry, not today" Harry said indifferently and pushed Ron toward the lift.

"Thanks Ron, thanks a lot" Harry said with a hint of anger "Now I have to deal with that idiot"

Ron lowered his head in remorse "I'm sorry Harry, I was angry"

"Well, there was no need for you to throw me in the middle of your turmoil"

They reached the third floor and made their way toward the team office. Ron unlocked the door and ushered Harry to enter.

"Weird" Ron said "It is always Hermione who unlocks the office first"

Harry, who has cooled down, looked in amusement "Really! With all this work dedication I suspect id she ever has a life"

"Like you have one yourself" Ron replied sarcastically and Harry didn't comment.

"I forgot to inform you Ron; McGonagall flooed me, there is an Order meeting next month, the day is still not specified"

"Really! I can't remember when the last order meeting took place" Ron said in surprise.

"Apparently … Before Dumbledore's murder"

"Blimey, that far?"

"This is because the Order members took quite a hit emotionally and physically. You know the emotional part is Dumbledore's death, but the physical part is from the Giants attack on Hogwarts which was defended by the Order members during the final battle; many of them were injured but no one killed, thank God for that, then the Centaurs came to their aid; since then the Order has been lying low. I also need to tend to some matters in Gringotts before the meeting. So be prepared to leave a day before the meeting"

"All right Harry, I mean Mr. Gringotts owner" Ron said sarcastically.

Harry shrugged is shoulders before replying "I'm just a major co-owner along with Malfoy"

Ron's eyes widened "That wanker is a major co-owner, I can't believe it"

Their conversation came to an end when the door was opened and seemingly annoyed Hermione entered, she came to a halt when she saw Harry and looked skeptically.

"Morning Hermione" Ron said cheerfully

"Morning Ron, can you introduce your guest?" Hermione looked at Harry curiously.

"He is a friend of mine from England" Ron said nervously thinking _'I hope it works'_.

"Harry Potter" Harry said taking the cue from Ron and extending his hand "Pleasure to meet you"

"The pleasure is mine" Hermione said "And what kind of profession are you in Mister Potter?"

"I am a private investigator; I used to work in England and was following a complicated case which led me here in Los Angeles"

"May I ask what kind of case it is?" Hermione said in manner of statement more than a question.

"Actually, I cannot violate the rights of my clients by revealing the information, but I can see that our paths has met; so I can expose some of the information, since we will work with each other and all" Harry said calmly

"I think both of you noticed that the FBI blokes are taking over, and why do you want for us to work together?" Hermione replied.

Harry looked straight into her eyes before answering "Because I want to piss of that dunce of an agent who is named Johnson"

Hermione chuckled at his statement "The desire is mutual, I think"

Harry, because he read her profile, knew that this is a possible reaction, and know she will accept; he replied with a smile "I'll take that as a 'yes' detective; and rest assured, I will not give that fool any vital information, in fact I won't give him anything at all"

"I know that bloke from before; he will enjoy pestering you for the information you have; he might even go far and order your arrest"

"I would love to see him try" Harry replied with a gleam in his eyes.

Hermione caught the gleam in his eyes, and for the first time since the beginning of their conversation she noticed his emerald-green eyes; she never saw such green eyes before, yet she feels that she saw knew them; she took her time thinking while admiring his eyes; she can see his strong will, his gentleness, and, to her surprise, sorrow and pain; _'this chap has faced death, I shouldn't be surprised as he works as an investigator, but why the sorrow?'_, she took a deep breath before making up her mind "Well then, I think we will work together after all, Mister Potter" and she smiled at him.

"It's Harry, please" Harry said politely.

"And it's Hermione for you too, Harry" She said with the same smile.

It was Harry's turn to admire her _'Bloody hell, she is beautiful, even when she was looking annoyed she was still beautiful'_ he gave himself a mental slap _'What are you thinking Harry? She is a muggle and you are a wizard, this is a horrible mix'_

_'Since when you despise muggles'_

_'I don't despise her, but I think it is hard for her to accept magic, she is a scientific as her profile says'_

_'Profiles can be wrong, but her body is not wrong'_

_'Yes … HEY WAIT; that is low; how can you think like that'_

Harry was fighting with his daemons when he heard Hermione calling "Are you alright Harry?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts "No … I MEAN YES … sorry, yes I'm alright; err… thank you" he replied with discomfort, and Hermione smiled again making him more uncomfortable.

"You look cute when you stutter" she gave herself a mental kick _'That was a bad choice of word Hermione'_

_'But it is the truth; he is cute … and handsome'_

_'Stop right there, did you say handsome; are you hitting on him?'_

_'I am, mentally at least; and he got beautiful green eyes too, although I feel like I saw them before'_

_'Girl … BEHAVE, and remember that he is a PI, means a temporary ally'_

_'Too bad'_

She heard Ron clearing his throat before speaking "what should we do now after all that mess?"

"Heading to the morgue of course" she replied

"But the FBI took control of every aspect of the case" Ron stated

"They are still at the lobby, and I like to piss Johnson by checking the victim's body before him"

"This is more my style, I think I'm beginning to like you" Harry said and noticed the hint of blush on her face _'Have I said anything wrong'_ he thought to himself.

"Like her or LOOOVE her" Ron said airily grinning, and then roared with laughter as Harry and Hermione blushed simultaneously.

"Double blush, what a prank score" and all of them made their way toward the elevator not noticing a pair of eyes that was following them.

"It is complicated now" The owner of the eyes said.

-------------------------------

Pierce felt the sunlight searing his eyelids and groaned loudly. He felt the bed sheets pulled away.

"Wakey wakey, sleepy lazy" his wife whispered in his ears.

"Another ten minutes honey" he said and shifted right.

"Humph, you are either a work freak or a sleepy lazy; you have to balance your life dear, look who came for help" Pierce felt a small weight on his shoulders; when he looked up, he saw a pretty innocent gray eyes looking at him.

"Hey there sugar" He said holding his daughter Sherry up.

"This was the only way I could wake you up" Lydia said hugging him lovingly.

"You know I can't resist my sweat angel" Pierce said and tickled his daughter who giggled loudly.

"How's your arm" Lydia asked with worriedly.

"Well, it's good, and I'm surprised; it feels a bit itchy, but I shouldn't be able to move it until the next week"

"I think it is the effect of that doctor's recipe" Lydia said

"Yeah, I shouldn't be complaining" Pierce hugged his wife "And I love you"

"What was that about" Lydia said smiling.

"Nothing, will you sue me because I said I love my wife?"

"No, but it has been a while since I heard you saying that"

"Well, get used to it; because I will not stop it"

"Dada" their daughter said; and caused them to turn their heads in a shock.

"Did she … she …" Pierce stuttered.

"Yes" Lydia hugged him with glistening teary eyes.

"Dada" Sherry said again with an innocent smile.

"She's just spoken" Pierce exclaimed hugging both his wife and daughter 'Life can't get any better' he thought to himself.

-------------------------

During this time, a suspicious phone call was taking place

"Hola"

"It's me"

The man on the other side of the phone didn't speak; he heard rustling before someone pick up the phone again.

"Speak" a deep voice came out of the speaker

"Who the hell are you? You are not him" the called asked with discomfort.

"Let's say I'm an … associate of him" the deep voice

"To hell with you, I will only speak with him"

"If you want to keep your job, then you will answer to me now"

The caller swallowed the lump that formed in his throat before answering "OK, now can I ask who you are?"

"Tsk-tsk … Are you really that thick; what if the line was bugged and somebody was eavesdropping; you will be in an unpleasant situation, and I will be long gone. Now, tell me what's bothering you"

"That British detective, Hermione Granger is the name; she is too nosy and too stubborn, she might go deep; and you will be in trouble"

"Don't worry, she will not see the unseen, nor will she feel the unfelt"

"What the hell does that mean?" the caller demanded.

"Don't bother yourself with that, you will not understand. Now, for the time being let her do her chores; she will tire herself with no benefit gained"

"You will not be that confidant when I tell you that; HE is here, and they seem to work together now"

"HE … You mean the one we gave you his picture" The deep voice said with a hint of discomfort.

"Yes" the caller said in indifference.

"That is not good for us" the deep voice was not in clear discomfort.

"I still don't see how a single man, especially a young one who seem to be green would cause you to be that concerned"

The deep voice chuckled before answering "Believe me when I say, he is far more experienced than you are; and if you were in to witness what experience he has encountered you would have pissed in your knickers"

The caller grumbled but never commented, and the deep voice continued "Nevertheless, he still our enemy, a formidable enemy, but still an enemy and a nuisance; and must be dealt with cunningly and swiftly"

"And may I ask how are you gonna do it?" the caller asked with impatience.

"You'll see; I assure you that he will be in a sticky position" and the deep voice chuckled then hung up.

-------------------------------

The elevator door opened slowly, and the trio made their way toward the morgue, Hermione opened the door and called "Hello, anybody here"

"Yes; welcome to the morgue, detective Granger" a middle-aged woman came out of a distant annexed office.

"Helen! I thought you were on vacation" Hermione exclaimed at the woman, who smiled at her before answering "I returned early"

Hermione introduced Harry and Ron to the Pathologist and vice versa "This is Ronald Weasley the new detective, and this is Harry Potter a private investigator working on the same case. Harry, Ron; this is Dr. Helen Grant, our most precious and trusted pathologist"

Helen looked straight at Harry, who did the same; then she broke a smile and spoke "Pleasure to meat you"

"The pleasure is mine" Harry replied with a similar smile.

"Aren't PIs not allowed to interfere with the police cases?" Helen asked Hermione who shrugged before grinning mischievously "This is FBI case now, Johnson's to be precise; and I'm more that willing to interfere with any case that jerk is on"

"I see; and since I didn't receive any notice regarding that I am still at your service"

"Now, after the introduction and the warm greetings; can we start with our business Helen? We want to check the body of the last victim"

"Ahh, you see Hermione; there is a problem" Helen said pointing at the dissection table "The body is no longer here"

"WHAT? What happened? Who took it?" Hermione yelled and Harry paced toward the table.

"No body" Harry said moving his hand over the table "It is still here but it has been burned to crisp"

"That's right" Helen replied "After I heard the commotion upstairs I came down and checked up everything; I found the body of the last vic in this state; only this body was incinerated, the other victims are still in their former state"

"That's bad" Hermione said, and Harry thought _'Truly, it is bad; the incindio spell covered any trace of the original spell that killed the victim'_

"But don't worry, I was here yesterday and examined the body thoroughly before this _'unfortunate accident'_ has occurred" Helen said gaining the attention of the trio.

"Really! Helen, you are my hero; I owe you one, please gimme the report; gimme gimme gimme" Hermione said while bouncing up and down.

"Whoa Hermione; calm down, the report will not fly away" Ron said holding Hermione shoulders.

"Yes, but Johnson can fly in any minute"

"Someone called my name?" The door opened and Johnson stepped in "My my, if it isn't my favorite detective; how are you doing Granger?"

"Faring well, Johnson" Hermione said in spitting manor.

"Tampering with the evidence, are we?" Johnson sneered.

"Well, can't hide that from an expert meddler like you" Hermione said slyly causing Johnson to grimace.

"Enough games, woman. I demand your leave immediately" the agent snapped.

"I still want to check the remains" Hermione insisted.

"Haven't you heard me you wench; this is an FBI case now, this is not a case for a chick like you; and who is playing with the air condition?" Johnson finished his sentence with a shiver as the temperature dropped sharply, if Johnson turned his head toward Harry, he would faint from the murderous glares Harry's eyes were shooting, and the hint of aura that engulfed his body. Luckily, only Ron witnessed that and whispered "Harry, not here; control your temper"

Harry took a deep breath and calmed; the aura around him disappeared, and the temperature returned to normal.

"That's better; now for the last time woman, leave with your so-called partner and that playboy PI" Johnson said pointing at the door. Hermione and Ron took off; but Harry stood his ground. And waited for Hermione to be far enough so she can't witness what he will do.

"Haven't you heard me asshole?"

"Of course I heard you, and I have one word for you" Harry said coldly.

"And what is it?"

"Stupefy" Harry said with his wand at hand, and Johnson fell unconscious.

"Stupid jerk" Harry said in spitting manner "Now Sofia, hand me the reports" Harry extended his hand to the pathologist who was no other than the metamorphagus auror.

"Certainly sir" the pathologist replied and handed the reports to Harry "This is for you and this is for detective Granger; make sure you don't mix them, as yours contain details about the spell used on the victim; I couldn't identify it though" Harry nodded to her stepping over Johnson's body and said before exiting "Revive him then give him a fresh memory about this incident"

Harry paced toward the elevator, where he found Hermione and Ron waiting for his.

"What happened?" Hermione asked quickly, and then gleamed when Harry handed her the report before answering "Nothing; I just had a word with Johnson and convinced him to see the things from our point of view"

Hermione grinned widely and said "I never thought that someone would influence that brat Johnson to do such a thing"

Harry shrugged and replied "There is always a first time" he didn't notice Hermione's gaze upon him; she held her look for a minute thinking 'Who are you really, Harry Potter'

---------------------------

"Disgusting …" Pierce spat a coughed after he gulped the second dose of the potion.

"It should be dear, it is a medicine" Lydia said casually.

"Why don't you try some love; it would be nice to have a second opinion" Pierce said slyly between his coughs.

"No thanks, I believe you completely" she said hurriedly, and the doorbell rang; Lydia stood up and walked toward the entrance while Pierce lied on the bed and play with his daughter; he recently knew that she was ticklish and her neck was her weakspot; he began his attack and Sherry was in a fit of laughter.

"Pierce; stop it or she will suffocate" Lydia was standing at the door frowning with Ginny beside her holding her bag.

"Good morning Mr. McLaden; I see that your condition has improved" Ginny greeted while beaming, and Pierce couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable at the formal address.

"Good morning to you my savior; I owe all this to you and your magical potion; it's amazing" Pierce replied the greetings and noticed Ginny's slight flinch "Are you alright yourself"

"Yes, thank you" Ginny answered hastily, and then tried to revert to the main subject "Do you feel any pain when you move your arms and legs?"

"No, they are just a bit itchy like you said to me yesterday" Pierce answered physically by moving his pro-injured arm. Ginny took the stethoscope out of her bag and began her examination, Pierce handed sherry to his wife and straightened himself.

"Please take off your shirt" Ginny asked calmly while examining his arm.

"Can you withstand my animal magnetism while I'm half-naked?" Pierce asked mischievously; Lydia glared at her husband and Ginny couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry; I see dozens of you daily" Ginny replied causing Pierce to pout "Hey, that's a low blow"

"You deserve it dear" Lydia said grinning wickedly "At last someone is bold enough to bring you down"

Ginny smiled but didn't comment; she completed her examination and then stood up "That's all; your arm is nearly healed up and your rest limbs are following. Have you followed my instructions correctly?"

"Yes, and I still don't believe that I was injured badly only yesterday"

Ginny smiled before answering "The miracle of Natural treatment; just complete the dose regimen and your wounds will be healed completely, see you later"

"Dr. Weasley, please; why don't you stay for breakfast" That was from Lydia while cuddling Sherry who was in a laughing fit.

"I would love to, but I have to rest for some time before my shift starts; just make sure Mr. McLaden completes the regimen and rest for at least three days before returning to work"

"I will, thank you doctor; and we're sorry for troubling you"

"Don't be, it is my duty to look after the patients" Ginny answered, then the two women shook hands and Ginny left the house.

----------------------------

"Nothing new in the report; not a bloody thing" Hermione exclaimed in frustration throwing her report on her desk.

"Hermione relax; we were expecting this, didn't we?" Ron said trying to calm his partner.

"I know, but I was hoping to find something, a single detail that can bring me some comfort; I'm going to be mental" Hermione said the last words while holding her head between her hands.

"Actually, I thing I have a theory" Hermione's jumped on her feet and looked at Harry who said these words, causing Harry to flinch at her reaction.

"You really are mental" That was from Ron who was rewarded by an evil glare, Hermione then walked to Harry and spoke "Do you really understand anything in this mad case? Which reminds me, you didn't share your previous knowledge about the case; care to do this now?"

"It is unwise speak of vital information in here, with Johnson and his blokes all over the please" Harry said calmed in an almost whisper voice.

"Oh, I forgot about that dimwit; how about the café across the precinct, they are serving excellent English tea there" Hermione said in eagerness

"Only if it was my treat" Harry said with a smile, and stood up showing his approval.

"Okay, let's go" Hermione said with enthusiasm. Ron, on the other hand, stood up and took Harry's morgue report "I will stay here in case anything comes up, and I will check the report again for any detail; you go on with your date lovebirds"

Harry sniggered while Hermione flushed deeply and yelled "RON; this is a professional meeting, not a date" and she stormed out of the office.

Harry turned to Ron smiling and said "You really can't restrain your cheek"

Ron shrugged before answering "No; Now go on with your meeting, I will send the report to Dick so he can send it to Malfoy; just be cautious, the streets are not safe these days with both Flint and Muerte gaining the courage to attack anytime"

Harry shrugged and replied "You know me; I don't look for trouble but trouble finds me" and then he stepped out of the office

"Honestly, can't he see the embarrassment he causes to the people by his irritating remarks?" Hermione said in annoyance.

"That's Ron, a Weasley through and through; if you want to be embarrassed even more you have to meet his brothers Fred and George, they are a twin and can cause a double trouble, they were the most famous prank pullers in school days"

Hermione laughed at the remark until they reached the elevator; she pushed the down button, and then she looked at Harry with questioning eyes "I see that you speak of Ron as more than an acquaintance; how come you know him that good; and how come you joined him here in Los Angeles and now both of you are working 'co-incidentally' on the same case?"

Harry took a deep breath, and then entered the now-open elevator while reviewing his already-made answer before speaking "Ron and I know each other from school days; we attended the same school, graduated together, and both have chosen the career of law enforcement. He has chosen to work in the police forces, but I preferred to be free, I chose to be a private detective"

"Interesting story, and what college have you attended?"

"Liverpool University College of Law" Harry said the first thing came to his mind.

"Really!" Hermione exclaimed "I attended this very college, but how come we never met; it was a small college after all"

"Maybe we weren't in the same year" Harry tried to correct his mistake.

"Maybe …" Hermione said and made a mental note to check up Liverpool University alumni "Anyway, let us be on our way"

They reached the café which was not crowded; they easily found a table outside the café. The waiter came to them and handed a menu each, then went to check another customer.

"So" Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, where should I begin?" he looked left and right to ensure safety, and wished he could cast the silencing spell "Me and Ron had a mutual case when we were in England, there was a group of cult fanatics called themselves the 'Death Eaters', they were a group of people who share a vision of blood purity and a goal of eradicating the world of the other races, their former leader has be eliminated, but the group itself was not weakened as a new leader has been picked, or should I say emerged, this new leader goes by the name of Marcus Flint, he is a dangerous foe, and highly intelligible; he pulled the death eaters into hiding for a year before emerging again and killing a fellow death eater who was captured during the former Dark Lord elimination"

Harry didn't notice that he said 'Dark Lord', but Hermione noticed it and remembered what Ron has said to her yesterday.

FLASHBACK

_"You are not alone; and you remind me of a friend, who also was a target since he was one year old, his parents died by the hands of the Dark Lord himself in an attempt to save him, he then ……"_

END FLASHBACK

_'This is not a co-incidence'_ she said to herself _'but then again, maybe that fanatic leader called himself a Dark Lord, I have to check up with the blokes in Scotland Yard, maybe they have something to share about this case'_

"Hermione, are you okay" she looked at the concerned Harry who stopped speaking

"Yes, thank you for your concern"

"If you want me to stop …"

"No please … Continue"

"Okay, as I said, they killed their fellow death eater to prevent us from interrogate him thoroughly; after that we followed the tracks of the murderer which led us here in Los Angeles"

"Your orders' sir" the waiter asked Harry politely, who looked at Hermione "What do you want Hermione"

"Earl Gray tea, please" she answered.

"Make them two, please" Harry told the waiter, who write it down and went inside.

Harry cleared his throat before continuing "When I came here, I searched for any information about the death eaters and any related unusual incidents; and I found some troubling information. It seems that the death eaters have allied themselves with the Columbian cartel; they also were the ones responsible for the prison break"

"How could you find this valuable information while the whole LAPD is striving to get a bit of logic in this case? You are not a normal PI Harry" Hermione said in awe and curiosity, the waiter brought the tea for them.

"You can say that I look in the right places; I also have a bit of information about the weapon used in murder. The death eaters have stolen a secret weapon from the MI-5 labs, it is a beam weapon that can cut, destroy, move, or manipulate matter into what the caster want; this beam weapon is as small as a wooden stick and look like on too, it does not leave any mark on the victim's body or the surrounding area"

Hermione was dumbfounded by what she heard; she stirred her tea for a minute before speaking "Unbelievable, who would think of creating such terrible weapon?"

"The weapon is only an instrument used by the person. It is the person's will that can turn this weapon into good or evil" Harry answered calmly.

"If this weapon was developed by the MI-5, how come you know about it?"

"The news of robbery spread among the police force quickly, especially when the weapon is used constantly, and I had some 'contacts' between them who informed me of the whole story" Harry answered then looked at Hermione "Any questions?"

"Many, actually" Hermione said "I witnessed a fight between your 'Death eaters' and anther group; who was they, I don't know, But I can clearly say that they were no death eaters. What I wanted to say that they were very, very fast; in fact, I think I almost swear that they teleport from place to another. But what I clearly remember is the bloke from the opposing group; he was by no means the fastest human I ever saw"

Harry at that point was nervous, but he kept his cool when spoke "The other group I don't know anything about it; but I can say that enemy of my enemy is my friend"

"I hope you are right" Hermione ensued and by the time she drank the last of her tea he waiter brought the check; she was about to left it up but Harry snatched it swiftly from between her fingers "I told you it is my treat"

Hermione was aback by Harry's speed when he snatched the check "You really are swift" she smiled at him 'Too swift for a human being' she thought to herself.

Harry pulled a 20 dollar banknote out of his wallet, put on the table, then stood up not waiting for the change. Hermione intrigued by his doings "So, PIs earnings are well after all?"

"I have some minor business activities her and there …" Harry shrugged.

"I'm really intrigued by your carefree way Mr. Potter" Hermione stated with a smile, Harry smiled in modesty and unconsciously rubbed his scar as he does whenever someone praised him; which caused her to notice the bolt-shaped scar.

"Harry, what's with the scar?"

Harry noticed that he revealed his scar with rubbing it "Nothing, just an old wound"

She looked thoroughly at his scar for a second before replying "It is too well formed to be an old wound"

"let's say that I once met a lunatic murderer who likes to draw shaped wounds on his victims"

Hermione sensed his discomfort with the subject, so she didn't push further into it; and even attempted to change the course of the conversation.

"So, you say you were a renowned investigator back in England; how come I never heard of you?"

"I never said I'm renowned" Harry said in defense "I only said that I have some connections in Scotland Yard, you twisted my words"

"Hey, I never twisted any words; only renowned investigators have connections in the yard"

Harry leaned forward and smiled "Maybe I cover my tracks very well", and Hermione felt her heart pounding and her breathing stop, she felt herself melting by his smile.

"Cute smile" she said without thinking, and both of them blushed at her remark with herself turning beet red. Harry only blushed a little but never said anything. They walked along the pavement without a word spoken, and Harry was the first to break the silence.

"What is your theory about the case at hand?" he asked Hermione, who nibbled with her lips like she always do when thinking hardly.

"I really don't know, for now there is only murder, nothing else"

"I know, it is really weird; but knowing Flint and his death eater fellows this is what pleasures them most. But what interests me is his alliance with the cartel leader; I never thought that the death eaters would ally themselves with mugg … mugs" Harry averted the mistake in the last second.

"I don't know about those cults; I even haven't heard of them when I was at the Yard; but you seem so keen in knowing their moves and ways, how come?"

"They are the first and only case I've been following since I became an investigator"

"Are they really that troubling?" Hermione asked with interest.

"They are just too organized to be destroyed easily" Harry answered, but then he stopped at the newspaper booth because an interesting title drew his attention.

He turned to Hermione and said "Hermione, would you mind get ahead of me to the police station; I think I'm going to check the newspapers for some time"

"No problem, just remember to call me or Ron from the lobby so we can get you through the lift to the third floor; it is restricted to the detectives of robbery and homicide"

Harry nodded at her; and she turned toward the precinct. Harry watched walking gently along the pavement for a minute; he seemed to be mesmerized by her casual walk, and he doesn't know why. He shook his head then turned his attention to the newspaper at hand.

_Los Angeles Times Mar, 15th 2005 Page One_

**THE PERFECT CRIME**

The College of Science in LA University began their academic week by a terrible loss; the Electro-Magnetic Pulse Amplifier (Short-named EMPA) which was emplaced in the Lab of the Department of Physics; was found missing by the faculty members of the department. The EMPA owned by the aforementioned department is considered the most accomplished contraption of its kind as it has been stated by the Head of the department Prof. Trakovoski; we have obtained a decent interview with the professor as you can see below:

N.I. (News Interviewer): Good morning professor, what can you tell us about the incident?

Prof. T: This is not a good morning indeed; the most valuable device in the whole department has been stolen, not to mention the wasting of many incomplete research papers involving the use of it; many of the department researchers and post-graduate students depend on the EMPA in their research.

N.I.: Can you tell us more about the EMPA, professor?

Prof. T: Well … As the name suggests, it is an Electro-Magnetic Pulse Amplifier; it has the same concept of the EMP cannon owned by the Pentagon and can knock; but it is much more powerful with half the size. One of our brilliant and most talented past-students worked into developing the regular EMP device and came with the EMPA. The regular EMP can knock out any electric device within a certain radius but still cannot knock out the power of a huge city like LA, and can transmit audio and video much faster than the Radio and TV waves; our EMPA can do the same thing with more efficiency. It is truly a disaster that it has been stolen, and weird too; I cannot think of any benefit gained from it outside the lab.

N.I.: We are truly sorry for your loss professor.

Next we interviewed the chief of University Security Office Mr. Landon Parks. And he seemed to be furious with the whole affair:

N.I.: Mr. Parks, greetings; can I have a minute of your time?

L.P.: Sure; but please be quick, we have an investigation to run.

N.I.: Can you tell us about the security measures that have been applied in the EMPA lab during the night of the crime?

L.P.: We have been taken strict measures as we have been told about the value of the device. These measures include constant intermittent patrol, video surveillance, and magnetic card access.

N.I.: With all these measures, how come that someone had access to the lab without notice?

L.P.: I really don't know; we have reviewed the video tape, and we only saw a black hooded person before the whole scene is cut. It is an inside job indeed; someone has provided the culprit a magnetic card which allowed him to enter and screwed with the security cameras. I promise this insider will be captured and served what's right to him.

N.I.: We hope so too Mr. Parks.

As you've read above, the crime couldn't have been done single-handedly; but still the purpose of the robbery is unknown, and who is the black hooded person.

Harry folded the newspaper and grimaced "What are you plotting Flint?" he stood thinking for a second 'Why do you care about muggle machinery all of the sudden?' he paid for the paper and walked toward the precinct, he saw Hermione crossing the road thirty meters away. Suddenly his sixth sense shot up. Harry noticed a car coming from afar, he didn't know why but he felt bad about it; he always trusted his sense of danger, and this time is no different from the others.

As he hastened toward Hermione his feelings came true; the care sped up when Hermione was in the middle of the road. Harry increased his pace into running in hope of catching up with her before the unfortunate happen.

"HERMIONE WATCH OUT" Harry yelled in desperation as he tried to close up; Hermione looked at him in confusion and suddenly she heard the screech of tires behind her, she froze as she saw the approaching car. And the pedestrians screamed in horror.

Nobody knew what happened exactly, but for Harry everything seemed to be in slow-motion; there were only three meters separating him from the frozen Hermione, he made up his mind and jumped toward her diving through the air for the whole three meters. He grabbed Hermione and twisted his body so he would fell on his back and not hurting her. He glanced at the speeding car and saw it turn around and the thugs are preparing their weapons for a drive-by shooting, Harry wandlessly threw a shield around himself and Hermione as soon as the thugs fired their weapons and covered her with his body; the bullets stopped dead in the middle of the air; he was angry with the thugs as he saw innocent people get shot and wished he could threw a Reductor curse at the car; but luck was at his side as he saw one of the thugs leaning out of the window, so he 'accio-ed' him out of the car and pushed him hard on the pavement all wandlessly, wordlessly, and motionlessly thanks to his raw magic; the thug went unconscious immediately after the impact and a nearby cop ran to him and cuffed him.

Harry turned his attention to Hermione who was in a shock because of all what was happened just now.

"Hermione, are you okay" Harry asked worriedly as he saw her vacant expression "Hermione, stay with me"

"What have just happened?" Hermione asked with quivery voice.

"Those dimwits were about to murder you, but luckily they were so thick that they couldn't aim correctly"

"But I saw the bullets hit an invisible wall, it wasn't a matter of bad aim" Hermione said while trying to stand up.

"Maybe it was your guardian angel" the already-standing Harry said and offered his hand to Hermione graciously who took it thankfully. She then walked toward the heap of bullets where the shield was erected; she was amazed by the amount of lead that was on the ground.

"It is indeed not a matter of bad aim" she muttered to herself.

"Well, I can't tell you anything about it; but there is something I'm positively sure of" Harry said and Hermione looked at him in confusion. He pointed at the fallen victims behind his shoulder and said calmly "This is a crime scene now".

* * *

**_A/N:_** Well, that was the seventh chapter; I'm sorry I took that long, but I hope it's worth it. I've written the general plot of the next episodes (Part Two and Three mainly); but I WILL NOT write them unless I see enough reviews, good and bad, now I must go and take a nap before I start writing the next chapter.

Read &Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.


	8. Interrogation

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Harry Potter or any of J.K. Rowling characters; but any other characters plus the plot, I do own.

**_A/N:_** Thanks for **_gu61_** for his review, now on to the eighth chapter, enjoy.

* * *

**Interrogation**

The street was buzzing with noise as the ambulance cars pulled over near the crime scene, both Harry and Hermione were in an ambulance near the scene and being checked up by an EMT; Harry was okay, but Hermione has just recovered from the shock so she felt slightly dizzy. The EMT instructed her to lie down on a gurney he brought until she recovers fully, she tried to protest but the EMT left to tend to the wounded before she can say a single word and she pouted in disapproval.

"Hey, he is right you know; you have suffered enough being the main target in this whole mess" Harry said calmly

"No, I want to see the inflected damage myself" she tried to get up, but she felt dizzy and lost her balance; then suddenly she felt strong arms surrounding her, she looked up and saw that it was Harry; she felt goosebumps and pulled herself up.

"T-Thank you" she said nervously, and Harry nodded at her; he could feel her nervousness but he thought it was because of her recent experience. After Hermione has regained her balance and was able so stand up they both exited the vehicle and made their way to the crime scene.

When they have passed the crowd with difficulty they saw what gruesome it was; there were at least six bodies lying lifeless in horrible positions, and about fifteen wounded with the EMT taking care of them. Hermione felt the disgust rising up inside her "Those wankers" she in anger and felt like wanting to tear but her self-dignity prevented her.

"At least one of them was fool enough to fall from the car" Harry said "He can be our lead to the rest of the jokers"

"Well, well … Look who is here" a familiar voice said from behind them, and Harry felt so angry to hear it.

"What are you doing here Johnson?" Hermione was the first to turn and speak to the FBI agent who came with two other agents.

"I heard you were involved in the incident and wanted to see how much damage you inflected this time, and I can't believe you are improving every time. Twenty five casualties! This broke you last record" Johnson answered with a malicious look in his eyes; and Hermione felt her heart stung at his remark.

"This was not her doing, if you are blind I can show you the way to one of the culprits myself" Harry said firmly with a sly tone.

"This does not concern you, four-eyes" Johnson said in a spitting manner.

"He is write Harry; all of this is because of … Me" Hermione said in a sad tone which caused Harry to boil with anger at Johnson.

"You see four-eyes, she is admitting it herself; such weaklings are not found among the FBI"

"Firstly, I have a name, and it is Harry Potter. Secondly; this is because the dolts have filled the whole slots" Harry retaliated quickly, and Johnson steamed.

"Enough of the chit-chat, we are taking control of the scene now. Agent Donaldson, agent Preston, escort these two out of here" Johnson said firmly, and the two agents ushered both of our heroes the exit of the scene.

Harry walked slowly beside the sad Hermione, and he felt wanting to pound Johnson to the pulp for what he said to her. Johnson; as if he has took the cue, began to sneer at Hermione "You are a total failure Granger; why don't you pack up and return to penthouse you came from"

"That does it" Harry yelled and turned toward the sneering agent. The two escort agents tried to stop him, but they felt themselves thrown back by an invisible force, and Johnson's eye widened at what he saw; his escort, who were not light-weight, went flying across the street with no one touching them, and when he came to his senses he felt Harry's hands grabbing his suit and he felt every bone in his body screaming as he was pushed forcibly against the wall. Harry pulled one arm backwards preparing to land a fierce punch on his face when Hermione shouted at him.

"Harry … Please, he is not worth it; do not get yourself into trouble because of him … Please" Hermione plea touched Harry's heart; he stopped himself from landing the punch and he eyed Johnson mortally.

"Hermione's plea saved you this time although you do not worth a dime; only next time you will not. If you ever hurt her in any way, physically or emotionally, you will not live to see another day, mark my words; as I do not make threats, but promises"

Johnson didn't speak; in fact, he couldn't. He was frozen by the death glare Harry has given him; he can even see the fire raging in his emerald eyes behind the glasses, and he knew that he wasn't joking; Harry can take his life at anytime.

Harry dropped the gaping agent and moved toward Hermione; he ushered her to the exit of the scene and the crowd stepped aside and looked at Harry with a mix of fear and awe. Johnson stood there for a minute and tried to understand what happened; he looked at his incapacitated escort and sighed nervously "I should've brought more men"

Harry and Hermione walked to the precinct in silence and felt the piercing looks of the staff at his back; they reached the third floor and entered her office without a word spoken, and when Ron saw the grim look on their faces he slightly panicked.

"What happened?" Ron asked almost in whisper.

"There was a drive-by shooting in front of the precinct, and Hermione was the target" Harry answered with an angry glint.

"My God. Hermione, are you okay? Have you been injured?"

"No, but many innocents are" she answered in a bitter tone that was noticed by Harry.

"Ron" Harry turned to his best mate "Can you please go to the interrogation room and ask for permission so I can interrogate the captured culprit?" and looked at him with meaningful eyes.

"No problem" Ron said taking the cue, and went to do as he was told.

Harry turned to the sad Hermione; he knew what she is feeling now as he experienced the same thing in the past, she is feeling guilty and responsible for all the deaths that happened; much like him when his godfather fell through the veil, and his mentor was killed by the traitor. He sighed deeply before speaking "Hermione, I'm sorry for the people who died, but you have to know that it is not you fault; your must not let the guilt consume you"

Hermione's body started to shake slightly as she answered "I-I don't know what to say or how do I feel about the whole thing, I feel like I was the one who has killed those people out there, I feel like I tainted them by being a walking target among them; they died because I was near them" Hermione finished her remark with tears glistening in her eyes.

"No you are not" Harry said firmly yet in a gentle way; he had experienced the same thing before and used to feel the same guilt and self-loathing during Voldemort's reign of terror, and he didn't want anyone else to have the same feeling "It was not your fault Hermione, they are the ones who killed those people, not you"

"I just hate it" she exclaimed and her tears began to shed "Everyone I come to know is in danger of being killed. I hate Muerte, I hate him; he destroyed my life" she began to cry and the emotions she bottled during this accident, the case itself, and before has surfaced.

Harry was lost by now, he couldn't think of anything to do; he was a disaster when it comes to social interaction and he know it, but the sight of sadness he saw in Hermione tears his heart, so he did the first thing that came to his mind; he hugged her.

Hermione was immersed in her grief so she didn't notice that she was crying against Harry's shoulder, and Harry himself was saddened so much by her grief to notice what had he done and how close she was to him. They stood in the same stance for at least ten minutes with Hermione's cry has reduced to sobs; only then she noticed where she was, and she pulled herself away from him quickly.

"I-I'm sorry, I broke down and for a minute I forgot where I was" Hermione said nervously looking at the ground with the tears still frozen in her eyes.

Harry himself was nervous because of the brief physical contact; he never experienced anything more than a friendly or family hug; but a sob comforting hug? That was over his limit. He stood silent for a second to regain his composure then spoke.

"No problem, you needed a shoulder to cry on and mine was available" Harry said then leaned forward smiling and added "but remember to book the place next time before using it" and Hermione chuckled a bit.

Harry sat down and ushered Hermione to do the same; he took a deep breath before speaking "I will tell you a story about a person who experienced the same thing you just have; it is about a boy who experienced a series of horrible tragedies and many hardships nobody ever faced" he looked at her and found that the desired effect has took place, she looked at his interestingly and temporarily forgot about her incident. He changed his posture then continued "The beginning took place when he was one year old; his family was being chased by a lunatic murderer, this murderer was so intent in getting the little boy; so the family went into hiding with only one person knowing their place, this person is one of their best friends" he closed his eyes and fell silent for seconds then resumed "Unfortunately, the family whereabouts was exposed, and the one who told the murderer about it was no other than their so-called friend; the murderer reached the hidden location and brutally killed the father and mother of the boy which left the baby only; a fully-armed professional murderer pointing his weapon at the head of a defenseless infant" Harry looked at Hermione and smiled when he saw the interest on her face.

"What happened to the baby?" Hermione asked urging him to speak.

"To the murderer's surprise; the weapon didn't affect the baby; instead, the bullet has deflected back seriously injuring the murderer himself. He fled the scene leaving a crying baby and two dead bodies"

"Bloody butcher; and what happened to the poor thing?" Hermione asked feeling a bit emotional for the baby.

"He was moved to another house where nobody cared about him; he even lived not knowing that his parents where killed; after he went to school, he met an old man who was the headmaster of his new school; this man was destined to be his mentor and the parents he never had; he told him the very truth about his parents; and the reason why this murderer was and still after him"

"And why is that?" Hermione asked urging him to spill more beans.

"This murderer, who is also a leader of a group of outlaws, was a bit superstitious; he believed in prophecies and such; and once he heard a prophecy about his demise by the hands of a young man. This prophecy enraged him as he considered himself invincible with the power he has and the fear he impose on his followers before his enemies; he searched for the young man and by some methods he concluded that he was the baby; and you know the rest"

"What was the boy's reaction at the revelation?" she asked again.

"What would you expect from a teenager who has just discovered that the people of his country are depending on him to get rid of a lunatic murderer? Of course he felt like a heavy load was dropped on his shoulders. Also, he knew that anyone who comes close to him is marked for death by the murderer and his followers; even if this one was just an acquaintance; he learned it by the hard way though"

His emotions now were stirring inside him; he never thought that he will ever need to call back such sad memories, but he need to enlighten Hermione a bit. He took his time to tame the rousing emotions before continuing "First, he lost his godfather and the only family he knew; he stood helpless as he saw him fall to his demise. Then he lost his mentor and father figure who was killed by no other that the traitor who sold the boy's family to the murderer. He felt as if the world crumbled before him, he has no where to go to; he was going mental, and he decided to distance himself from everyone; he remembered something his mentor told him once, 'only with love and friendship you can surpass the mightiest opponent'. He reconsidered his decision, and promised himself that he will protect everyone he cared for"

"And then, what happened to the murderer? I dare to say that he never let the boy rest" Hermione stated, and Harry nodded in agreement.

"And you are right, but the boy never let his guard down from that point forward. He eventually dueled the murderer and killed him, and finally he avenged the lives of the his family, godfather, mentor, and many other innocents"

Harry finished the story without mentioning that it is actually 'his' life story, he looked at Hermione and saw that she has become gloomier than before; he smiled at her and spoke again "Why the long face Hermione?"

Hermione brushed away some of the escaped tears and answered "you know Harry, if you were trying to lighten my mood then you should know that you have failed miserably"

"Well, I didn't want to lighten you, but to enlighten you; if there is something to learn from this story then it is that you are not alone in this world, and every decision you make well affect the people around you, especially those you care about. Also you must know that you should not give up your friendships and family ties, because this is what your enemies are waiting for; divide and conquer; this is their favorite tactic"

Hermione didn't speak; she drew circles on the back of her hand by her thumb as she always does when she is in deep thought, and something suddenly hit her "What happened to the boy afterwards, and you didn't tell me his name"

Harry answered calmly "The name doesn't really matter, but maybe one day you will meet him; as for what happened afterwards" he leaned forward with a sly grin "He lived happily ever after"

"Hey" Hermione pouted "This is not your typical fairy tale to end like that"

"I know, but I wanted to prove a point and I did; maybe one day I will tell you"

"I'll wait for that day, just stick to your word Potter" Hermione remarked and laughed. At that moment Ron entered the office.

"Hey, it's good to see you laughing after all this Hermione; and Harry, the interrogation room is ready, it is on the opposite side of the morgue, just talk to the officer Crawford who in charge, he was more that happy to help you. I also asked some other blokes to search for the suspect file, and voila; here it is" Ron stated and handed him a dossier.

"Mike is a good old chap, he helped me a lot through my investigations" Hermione added in approval.

"Thanks Ron; I'll take it from here" Harry said patting Ron's shoulder.

"Always a pleasure mate; and by the way, Johnson witnessed my whole conversation with Mike and didn't interfere; do you know what's wrong with the bloke?"

"Let's say I have given him … an offer he can't refuse" Harry said looking at Hermione with a meaningful glance, and then left for the interrogation.

Ron stood there with a confused look before asking Hermione "What does he mean?"

"He means what you've just heard, you should have been there Ron; I never thought that dolt would be intimidated by anyone, but the look on his face when Harry grabbed him … Oooh" she chuckled a bit before continuing "I should give that bloke some credit; I've never seen anyone can be sooo intimidating"

Ron now can imagine what happened and roared with laughter "I really wish I was there; and I bit that Johnson said something too bad that set Harry on fire; I told that bloke before that his temper is as bad as a Weasley, maybe worse"

Hermione giggled for a minute before something hit her "Wait a minute, those two other agents weren't even touched by Harry and they went flying as if they were pushed back by a sheer force"

Ron was stunned at her remark "WHAT? Hermione are you out of your mind, no body can fly without wings or without someone sending them flying; they must have tripped on something on the ground" he tried to explain while cursing in his mind _'Bloody Hell Harry! I knew one day your hot temper will cause some bloody problems'_

"I don't think so" Hermione relied intently "There was nothing on the ground; but then again, maybe they were too dumb to trip with nothing on the ground"

Ron fought the urge to howl with laughter as he remembered a certain pink-haired metamorphagus having the same dumbness "Anyway" he said with a hoarse voice "Enough about that and tell me, what has Harry told you to alleviate your mood"

"Well … He told me a story about a little boy and a lunatic murderer; where the boy's family where killed by the hand of the murderer and the boy miraculously lived after being shot at point-blank"

"Blimey, I never thought he would tell you this story. In fact, he never spoke of this story to anyone; he must have began to respect you Hermione, you should be grateful"

Hermione blushed for no reason and said defensively "Why all the fuss about him? He is just a private investigator after all"

"I'm not in the position of telling you, but one day you might know" Ron said cryptically.

"Is it me, or you blokes have turned cryptic all of the sudden?" she jeered at Ron who chuckled a bit.

"Nothing like that happened Hermione; but I have to tell you that the boy's story is true; and he is considered a legend among the shire inhabitants" Ron ended in a serious tone that attracted her attention.

"I thought it was just folklore; so that why he didn't tell me his name" she said as if she was speaking with herself, and then turned to Ron "Do you know the name of the boy.

"No" he lied "But I can tell you that he is better known as … The-Boy-Who-Lived"

------------------------------------

Harry reached the basement level where the interrogation room is; and walked a bit along the corridor until he reached the morgue and saw middle-aged man standing in front of a door in the opposite direction, he approached him and greeted him.

"Good morning sir, is this the interrogation room?"

"Yes, and who might you be?"

"I'm Harry Potter, a private investigator; detective Ronald Weasely said I will find Officer Crawford here"

"You are talking to him son. You are the young man who saved detective Granger, aren't ya'? I want to thank you for this; detective Granger is a hard worker and one of the few honest detectives who remained true to the cause, she is too good and important to be wasted in that way"

"I clearly understand sir" but it was quite the opposite; he never thought she was that popular amid the force staff, and her being the only female detective and a British one was not adding any easiness; but then again, her hard working nature and her friendliness must've helped a lot.

"Anyway" Crawford interrupted his thoughts "I heard from detective Weasely that you want to interrogate the detained suspect yourself; keep in your mind that usually private investigators are allowed to question the suspects detained by LAPD only after a long procedure and with administrative authorization; but due to your contribution in the recent incident I will overlook the paperwork. Also, I want to do this just to piss off that double-crossing asshole Johnson" Crawford stated

"Thank you for your generosity sir; and don't worry about Johnson, he won't be much of a problem" Harry said calmly

"Yeah, I heard about that too" Crawford guffawed "Good one by the way; you are beginning to earn high esteem among us LAPD"

"Thank you again sir for your trust"

"Now, now, don't get all mushy on my boy; I only said the truth. Now go on, there is another imbecile waiting for you inside"

Harry nodded and stepped toward the door, he stopped just before he entered and turned toward the officer "Sir, I want to say that the surveillance cameras might not work properly for some time" he said with a significant look.

"Well, technical problems could happen any time, couldn't they?" Crawford replied with a knowing grin, Harry grinned back and entered the room.

The first thing he saw the minute he entered was the thug sitting down on a chair with much confidence shown on his face. He looked at the distant end of the room and saw the camera hanging down from the ceiling; He slowly walked towards it and unplugged it, and before he do anything he quietly placed an obscuring charm on the one-sided mirror and a silenco charm on the whole room. After that he sat down while gazing the over-confident thug.

"What are you looking at?" the thug said almost spitting on him.

"At you, I never thought that a low-life like you can appear with such confidence while he is captured" Harry answered calmly.

"I should be; don't you know who I work for pendejo?" the thug sneered with increased confidence.

"You can tell me yourself" Harry leaned and said with the same calmness

"Muerte …" The thug hissed with a glint in his eyes expecting Harry to back up with terror; but much to his surprise he didn't even wince.

"No thanks, I had enough of him at breakfast; did you too … Marco, isn't it?" Harry replied while scanning the dossier with much coolness.

"Don't you know who muerte is" the thug exclaimed is a mix of surprise and anger.

"I know all what I need to know about him, just another smuggler"

"Smuggler!" the thug yelled and stood up in anger "A smuggler you say! I think you are either very brave or very idiota holmes"

"I don't care a bit about what you think wanker"

"Listen to me gringo; you are all going to die, no body have a chance in standing against Muerte and his new allies; you are comida para perros"

"You are really starting to annoy me with all this rubbish; if you want to keep talking, at least say something useful"

"I will not talk unless my lawyer is present; I know my rights amigo" Marco replied with much cheek.

"You don't get it, do you?" Harry said coldly as the room temperature dropped "I am not your regular happy constable" and the lights began to flash "When I want something, I first ask nicely" and a gust blew out of nowhere "Then I take it by force" and finally, Harry's aura shot up rapidly showering the room with greenish-blue light.

Marco witnessed the whole ordeal in increasing terror, while seeing and feeling every bit of it; and when Harry's aura appeared, he doubled over along with his chair. He retreated quickly until his back hit the wall.

"Dios mio! Y-You are El- El- … El Diablo" the thug stuttered.

Harry looked at the timid thug with killing glares before speaking "Will you cooperate or should I take what I want with force?"

"P-Please don't kill me; I will tell you anything you want" the thug pleaded.

"Tell me the count and names of Muerte's new allies"

"I-I don't know …" Harry's aura started to ripple, and the thug quivered madly "But I know the name of their leader; Flint … Yes, Marcus Flint; and they call themselves 'Los Mangeur de Muerte', the death eaters"

"I know all this" Harry yelled "Tell me something I don't know; like their names and number" and he remembered something "And the college break-in yesterday"

"I told you señor, I don't know their count; but I know that they stole a huge machine from the college yesterday because I brought them a truck at a pre-chosen meeting point, the machine was mysteriously floating in the middle air … I swear it was magia. There were four of them last night; and I heard one of them call the other Nott"

"Nott" Harry said and went into deep thought 'That makes sense' he told himself 'Only that cold-blooded lunatic can kill those officers with such brutality', he then turned his attention back to the groveling thug "Where is their hideout?"

"I-I don't know" the thug cowered as Harry's aura shot to the roof again "Please, you have to believe me, I am not one of Muerte's elite soldiers; only them are allowed to be in the hideout, the others are gathering in other places"

"Where" Harry asked coldly, but received no answer. He increased the intensity of his aura causing the thug to shriek with horror.

"Please, I can't say; if they know they might kill me"

"They might kill you if you spoke; but I WILL if you didn't, make your choice" Harry eyed him and waited for an answer.

"Oooh Dios mio! Salvar a mi" Marco said in a whimper "Colleja Motels"

"Motels!" Harry remarked while eyeing him skeptically "Why do I have the feeling that you are lying to me?" and the thug whimpered even more.

"Por favor … I only said the truth; don't kill me" the thug begged.

"Let's see then" Harry replied while levitating the over-shrieking thug and placing him on his already-straightened chair. He sat opposite to him and locked his eyes on his.

"What are you going to do" Marco asked while shivering.

"I'm going to validate your so-called confession … _Legilimens_" and he began his probing.

At first he found himself at a desolated place, and it was nighttime but he can see the twilight, so he assumed that it was near dawn. He was standing beside Marco who was leaning at a parked truck. A few minutes later, four hooded silhouettes appeared in the distance, and a huge shadow was following them. He recognized them as they drew nearer; they were death eaters. He saw Nott in the lead, and three other young death eaters he doesn't know; they were levitating a rather gigantic contraption he presumed it was the stolen EMPA.

"Dios! It is floating; this is magia" Harry heard the bewildered Marco exclaim.

"Cut the yammer and open the loading door" Nott hissed at him and then turned to the death eater who is levitating the machine "Manson, bring forth the machine"

They loaded the machine and secured the loading door. Then Nott turned toward the frightened Marco and spoke with malice "Now go to the rendezvous point and be sure not to get caught; and don't think about dawdling around, we are watching you"

After the truck moved Harry tried to follow it but the image got distorted and then went blank, and he knew it was the effect of the memory charm. Flint was very careful; he didn't trust anyone except himself and a few wizards of the inner circle.

He found a few other interesting memories including the Hermione assassination attempt. Also, he found some memories of ordinary conversations with civilians and other thugs, but he didn't understand anything as they were in Spanish. He felt frustrated for not learning such vital language. He tried to look for the motel he was told about but didn't find it 'Why I am not surprised?' he thought to himself, and drew himself out of Marco's mind rather aggressively.

"Wha-What've just happened?" Marco asked but Harry didn't care for answering, he swiftly drew his wand causing the thug to wince "What are you doing?"

"This is going be quite painful; I am not telling you for your sake, but for the sake of my ears … _Memoria Extractum_" and a purple ray of light flowed out from the tip of the wand, and at the instant it touched Marco's forehead his body convulsed violently and he screamed as he never did before and the purple ray retracted pulling with it a few azure semi transparent strands.

As the last strand was pulled out, Marco fell down unconscious; Harry stared at him with stone face while his aura faded "Even though you are riffraff you are still human, you shouldn't have experienced that painful charm, but you left me no choice" he said to the unconscious thug before innervating him and hitting him with a strong memory charm "You will remember me intimidating you, but you will forget that I used magic and anything related to it including the aura".

Marco blinked for a few seconds after the spell hit him, then he noticed Harry's presence and cowered. Harry didn't speak; he picked up the dossier and left the room not forgetting to wandlessly deactivate the pre-placed charms and plugging back the camera; when he got out he saw Crawford jogging toward him.

"That was the worst power fluctuation I've even witnessed" Crawford growled.

"What happened?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Haven't you noticed? The lights of the whole floor were wavering; in all my years in here I've never seen such malfunction; even some of light bulbs blown up"

"I thought only the lights in the interrogation room were malfunctioning" Harry lied and thought to himself _'I've gone a bit far this time'_

"Anyway, I see that you finished your interrogation; has it been good?"

"Somewhat" Harry replied pouting "But I'm content with the little information I got"

"Don't be sad" Crawford patted him "It is always hard in the beginning, but something will come up and open new doors"

"Hopefully" Harry said feeling a bit exhausted "If you excuse me, I need to review my findings with your detectives before heading home"

"I understand; if you need anything else, I'm happy to help; the whole department owes you for saving our top detective. And by the way, due to the presence of the FBI, the third floor is open so you can reach it without a card"

"Thank you sir" Harry said then walked away from him toward the lift; he felt completely drained as he never thought he would be _'It must be the aura' he thought to himself, I should work on my endurance or my aura will be more a burden than a bless'_. During his ascend he scribbled a concise note about the outcome of the interrogation on a piece of paper he conjured, and magically copied the culprit's profile.

When he reached the third floor he noticed that it was swarming with FBI agents, and a number of them noticed his presence and eyed him with malevolence but he paid no attention to them; he walked toward Hermione and Ron's office, knocked the door and entered.

"Hello, sorry if I'm a bit late"

"No problem mate" Ron replied

"Have you extracted anything useful out of that git?" Hermione asked anxiously.

'More than what I bargained for' he thought to himself, but he can't tell her everything so he said "Only a few confessions"

"That's too bad" Hermione said with disappointment. Harry handed her the dossier "I took the liberty of copying it, I hope you don't mind"

"As a matter of fact, I do" Hermione looked at him warningly "This is police property, you can't do as you like with it without the proper permission"

"Sorry, I will remember that next time" Harry said and smiled at her. She felt her heart skip a beat, and she scolded herself for that _'Why do I feel like a teenager around that bloke'_

"Let's skip to the important business, shall we?" Ron suggested, and Harry sat down and began talking.

"It appears that the death eaters along with the Columbians are concocting something unpleasant; I read this morning an article about a stolen device called EMPA, which is short for 'Electromagnetic Pulse Amplifier', this device can knock out the power at a certain radius. The point is, this bloke …" pointed at Marco's picture in the profile "Has helped in the robbery"

There was a heavy silence in the room before Hermione break it "Has he said where they took it?". Harry looked at Ron it a significant look before answering "He said he can't remember"

"Hogwash" Hermione said in an almost yelling manner "He is definitely lying, this is what are they good at … Men; no offense boys"

Ron grimaced but Harry replied immediately with a smile "none taken" and then leaned forward with a firm look "Hermione; I have a favor to ask"

She looked at him surprised "What is it Harry?"

"Can you search in the police files here and in the other states for any mysterious and unsolved cases?"

"They are hundreds Harry, but why?" Hermione said in confusion.

"What I mean is cases of murders with unknown weapon, or robberies occurred in security-tight places; just like our case here"

"I understand now Harry; I will tell Pierce to look for it when he returns; he is better that me in this kind of work"

He nodded at her "Okay, in the mean time I will look for information elsewhere, so I might not come back in few days"

"Then how can I contact you if anything turned up" Hermione asked

"I will, so don't bother yourself"

"Hey" she said in annoyance "I thought we said we will work as a team"

"We will" he replied defensively "But I will keep my tracks covered for a while until I can confirm it is safe to tell; and you should be on constant vigilance after what happened"

"Don't worry about that; and you better not play with me Potter" she said pointing a warning finger at him.

"I'm not, trust me on that"

------------------------------------------

"Señor Martinez, I thought we had a deal …" Flint expressed with a hint of anger apeear on his face.

Muerte interrupted him "I should be that one who is saying that holmes; you are utilizing my money, men and influence, while I got nothing out of this maldito deal; the bitch is still alive …"

"And she will be" Flint interrupted this time "If we acted rashly and without a plan"

"So, you say you have a plan" Muerte eyed him suspiciously.

"Of course" Flint said with confidence "But as good plans go, this one will take a month to take effect"

"A MONTH" Muerte exclaimed in fury "DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN A MONTH?"

Flint eyed the enraged drug lord with provocative coolness and waited him to calm down before speaking "Señor Martinez, I should remind you that I am not one of your blokes to yell at me like that; I consider actions less than that to be offending and I punish the one who commits it immediately and painfully; but as you are a valuable alley I will forgive you this once … and only this once"

Muerte was startled with the coldness Flint spoke with but didn't comment; and Flint continued "Our main obstacle in achieving your desire señor Martinez is Harry Potter. As you have seen by yourself, he is a formidable opponent, even the former dark lord tried to persuade him to join his side, but his silly ideals and disgusting love for the mudbloods prevented him from that; the main problem is that he noticed that detective granger is your main target; and thus he bestowed his protection on her. My main goal is to end this protection by shattering their alliance; and for this I need a month of preparation for this"

Muerte growled for a minute before speaking "OK, I will accept that for now. But if I don't get what I asked for after that then our deal is no more; comprendé?"

"Fair enough" Flint nodding ending the initial argument with a mutual agreement.

---------------------------------

"Harry Potter, sir" Dick and Vlad shot up in a firm military salute as Harry entered the HQ.

"At ease, people. Honestly, you don't need to salute me every time I enter" Harry said firmly though couldn't help but to smile.

"We can't help it sir" Dick replied "We are so proud to work under the administration of a Legend; and every feat you achieve is proving that you are more that a legend, sir"

"I have to say that we are working undercover; so if you salute me every time you see me this could turn pretty nasty and we might get exposed"

"We understand sir; we will only salute you if no one sees us"

"I give up" Harry said chuckling a bit, then he turned serious "Now for our business" and both aurors paid their full attention to them.

"Detective Granger was caught in a drive-by shooting. However, she survived it; and one of the culprits was caught; I interrogated the git myself but I only got a few useful confessions; now what I want from you Vladimir is to go to the ministry and bring a secure pensive and a batch of freshly prepared Veritaserum potion, and tell them I want it to be placed in unbreakable bottles"

"Right away, sir" Vlad saluted him firmly and went to fetch the items.

"As for you Dick, How is the progress of the case"

"Not quite good sir; Professor Malfoy sends his regards and says that the research of the curse used on the victims will take some time; but he notified me to tell you that the spell profile indicates that it is an ancient curse"

"Ancient …" Harry muttered and an idea revolved in his mind "This is a fair finding; rule number one in our work, dick, never neglect any finding even the smallest one, because with a small fish you can catch a bigger one"

"I'll keep that in mind sir" Dick retorted.

"By the way, dick; do you speak Spanish?"

"Of course sir; it is mandatory in these parts because the big portion of the population here is the Latin-Americans, but way sir?"

"Because I have a few memories is Spanish that I want you to translate for me"

"Is that why you ordered a pensive sir?"

"That's right; now if you don't mind, I need to sleep for a couple of hour or I would fall from exhaustion. Inform me when Vladimir returns"

"Affirmative sir"

----------------------------------

"Ginny, hey there girlfriend"

"What do you want Alicia? I have work to do" Ginny said with impatience as her friend paced beside her.

"Where were you this morning? I called your home but you didn't pick up"

"My whereabouts are my business Alicia; and I think you are not my mother" Ginny retorted coldly

"Ouch, stab me in heart. Is this a way to speak with a friend?" Alicia replied rather joyfully.

"Honestly; if anyone see you acting like that he would thought we are a childhood friend, not a two-day acquaintance"

"That's me girlfriend; by the way, how is the handsome detective doing?" she asked evilly, and Ginny blurted "He is fine actually, and healing prop … Hey"

Alicia began to laugh madly "I know it, I knew that you were seeing him; so how was the date"

"Woman, I only checked him up nothing to fancy; pure professional work" Ginny said only to realize her mistake too late

"You checked him up? That's cool" Alicia laughed harder.

"ALICIA, I have a work to do"

"OK, OK; sheesh; you are no fun at all; do you know that?" the joyful M.D. said before going to her work

----------------------------------

"This is odd" Hermione said to Ron who looked at her curiously "What's odd?"

She looked at him intently "Are you blind Ron? Haven't you seen that bloke shivering during the interrogation; it is the first time I've ever seen one of Muerte's thugs to be so miserable. They always appear as confident as a peacock. What have Potter done to that poor bloke?"

Ron shrugged before replying "Knowing Harry, he might have intimidated him a little bit"

"A little bit?" Hermione exclaimed "If you ask me I'd say it was a lot of bits"

"Maybe he got carried away with the interrogation"

"You are really weird Ron, why are you trying to justify Potter's actions; one would say you are acting like a best mate or a twin brother more that an ordinary old friend"

Ron felt a bit awkward; she didn't know that she hit the heart of the truth, but he thanked God as she changed the subject.

"And I have to tell you; I never thought that Potter was capable of intimidating people; even when he threatened Johnson I didn't believe my eyes. When you brought him here I thought he was some kind of a reporter; but private investigator? That was a bit of a shock"

"Harry would amaze you sometimes" Ron blurted earning him another curious look from Hermione.

"I told you; you are acting like a best mate"

He felt awkward again and tried to change the course of the conversation away from him "And why you were shocked?"

"Well, I always thought that the private investigators where harsh and ruthless, and they would not regard the laws; but Harry is so gentle and caring, and his eyes show sheer calmness, and …" she was talking absentmindedly but stopped suddenly when she saw the look on Ron's face and realizing what she was saying; her cheeks turned crimson-red at the realization.

"Blimey 'mione, if someone heard you he would've thought that you are in love" Ron said and then roared with laughter as more red shade appeared on her cheeks.

"I'm not Ron. Honestly, why do you always turn any civil conversation into an awkward one?"

"It is what I'm good at 'mione" and he laughed even more.

--------------------------------------

Harry slept continuously for two hours in the annexed bedroom in HQ before hearing a commotion in the main whole; he sat up feeling completely refreshed "This was a much needed sleep"

He exited the bedroom and saw Dick and Vlad bringing in boxes filled with bottles.

"Is that it?" Harry inquired.

"Yes sir, a whole batch of Veritaserum, freshly prepared and in unbreakable bottles sir. They are even are able to prepare more sir" Vlad answered as he brought in the last box.

"Good" Harry retorted as he opened a bottle and smelled the potion; he then closed it and threw it against the wall to test the unbreakable charm integrity "Really good"

"What should we do with it sir?" Dick asked in curiosity.

"To know that bring me the list of all the aurors under my command" Harry ordered the hacker auror, who complied immediately; he checked the list "Ninety-five aurors; Vlad, how many bottles have you brought?"

"Five hundred bottles, sir" Vlad answered with confusion.

"Which make it five per auror" Harry said with confidence that caused more confusion; Dick stepped forward and asked "May I ask what are you thinking sir?"

Harry looked at them and smiled "When I interrogated the culprit today I used some … exhausting methods of interrogation, so I felt the aurors who are working undercover should always carry Veritaserum just in case they need it; we got Hundred aurors including me, Ron, and the three of you, means five bottles per person to use; I doubt anyone will need more than more though; but better safe than sorry"

"Good thinking, sir" Dick said feeling more impressed with his ideal's way of thinking.

"Anyway; Vlad, I want you to go and round up all the aurors in this list except Ron, and bring them here for our first meeting; I will prepare the meeting room so it can fit in this enormous number of people"

"Right away sir" and he went to carry out the order, but Harry stopped him "Before you go, where is the secure pensive?"

"There it is sir" he pointed at the object in the corner.

"Very well, carry on then" Harry retorted as he walked toward the pensive, he ushered Dick to follow him. When he reached the object he drew his wand and point it at it muttering _'Memoria Recolo'_

Dick's eyes widened as semi-transparent threads shot out of Harry's wand and into the pensive.

"Now, these are the memories I want you to translate, so go on"

Dick hesitated for a moment before asking "What was that spell sir?"

"It is a top-secret spell that only the high ranking aurors know; in other words, it is a death-tracker-only spell; now go on and do your chores"

Dick felt disappointed and unsatisfied with the answer but didn't dare to argue with his superior. He entered the pensive and began to watch the memories, after ten minutes he pulled out and saw Harry waiting for his report.

"So, what is it?" Harry asked in a commanding manner.

"Most of them were ordinary conversations; but there was one conversation before the assassination attempt; one of the thugs said that they would be changing their hideout after they return from their mission"

"Mission they said" Harry hissed darkly "Those lowlifes; but I doubt that git would know where it is"

"You are right sir; they were going to gather at their old hideout before exposing the new one"

"Too foxy for them to think that way; I bet it was Flint's idea to change the hideout. Anyway, we must put a search pattern for possible hideouts, but that can wait until the whole auror battalion is assembled. In the mean time, I will go to the ministry library and research the unknown curse myself; I will keep the invisible headphone open, contact me when they arrive"

"Roger sir" Dick saluted his superior and went back to his original position in front of the computer. Harry exited the HQ and apparated to the Ministry if Magic entrance. He entered the telephone booth and went down until he reached the library level. He walked through the doors and toward the librarian counter, who was busy with paperwork.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic library; here you will find a variety of books from all … Merlin's Beard, it's Harry Potter"

Harry fed up with his world wide fame; but he couldn't do anything with it "Pleasure to meat you; may I have access to the restricted section?"

"I'm sorry, but only the minister is allowed to enter that section, and …" he flashed his golden auror badge "High ranking aurors are also allowed, which means that you have access; let me show you the way"

She led him to an isolated corridor at the distant section the library; they reached a vast door at the end of the corridor; she turned to him "Your badge please" he handed her his badge and she used it on a crevice at the right side of the door, and it opened slowly, then she handed the badge back to him "You can enter now Mr. Potter, and if you need to access this section anytime in the future just follow the same procedure I just did, and no need to look for me, too"

"I understand; thank you for your help" Harry said and stepped inside the restricted section.

The place was dim and gloomy; the shelves were full of books with dark nature; he noticed that some of the books were actually monsters like an old book he knew. Lucky for him, they were all slumbering. He quietly walked toward the 'Ancient Curses' section as the sign indicated and began to browse the shelves.

Hours have passed, and Harry was immersed in his research; he skimmed through dozens of books and scanned the ones which interested him; 'Curses of Condemnation', 'The Unforgivables: A Thorough Look', 'Avada Kedavra: The Ultimate Curse', 'The Veil: Mysteries Uncovered', 'History of Curses', 'The Dementor Curse: Travel To A World of Madness', and much more. He felt so exhausted that he couldn't open his eyes properly; he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes and decided to call it a day and went back to the HQ for the last task he had, the meeting.

After he exited the ministry he apparated to the alley near the HQ, as he opened the door and heard the buzz coming from inside the meeting room, he walked toward the door and stepped in.

"Officer on deck" Dick exclaimed and the whole battalion of aurors stood up.

"At ease" Harry said calmly yet in a commanding voice, and then stepped in and assumed the lead seat "As you've learned early this week, I will be your commander in this operation", the aurors began to hum. Many of them were young, and have heard of Harry's story; they considered him a legend and an ideal auror, they followed up his last battle with the former dark lord with much excitement and disbelief because of the sheer power he and his former nemesis displayed; and when their director told them that he will come to the states and assume the command of this UK/USA operation most of them didn't believe it, but now he is here in front of them; although some of them felt disappointed to see a young man instead of a middle aged experienced auror; but considering his history, he is far more experienced that all of them united.

"I want to say that I've chosen out of a list of seven hundred top aurors; which means you are the best auror out of seven. Now, don't let that get into your heads and remember … Our opponents are not to be meddled with recklessly, they are the death eaters" and the humming began again.

A young female auror stood up "but sir, weren't they caught and defeated after You-Know-Who's demise?"

"Will that is not right Vanessa, isn't it" and the auror nodded "They are now under a new leadership which is far more problematic than Voldemort" and they whole room gasped and shuddered.

"Lesson number one in my team, fearing the name only increases the fear of the person himself; and honestly, only the fool fears a dead man. Anyway, you will be sorted into twenty different teams; each team with tasked with certain mission different than the other teams and each team will be provided with a hideout. You will report any progress directly to auror Howards here in the main HQ" and pointed at Dick "Aurors Pavlov and Blanc will monitor your progress during the missions; and any problem you encounter you either report to me or auror Weasley when he is present in the HQ. Also, each auror should carry at least a bottle of Veritaserum" he said as he summoned the boxes from the corner of the room.

"You will be given five bottles each, Use them in interrogation when no muggle is witnessing. Do not over use the potion, as the next batch might no be ready any time soon; any questions"

"Yes; why are we being dictated by a bunch of green kids who are not as experience as us?" a middle aged auror bellowed with total disrespect to the rank difference, but Harry didn't mind.

"Jones; isn't it? Well, I can see your points. But Aurors Howards, Pavlov, and Blanc have proved to be more efficient than you in terms of leadership, power, and creativity"

"I'm not just talking about them. I'm talking about you and that Weasley boy; I still don't believe that anyone can surpass the dark lord, or even survive a killing curse. You've only got lucky once"

"Hey, you have no right to question your superior's eligibility" Dick bellowed back at the raging auror; but Harry ushered him to calm down.

"Let him speak Dick; this is as the Yanks say it _'a free country'_; so you think that I killed Voldemort by sheer luck" the whole room shuddered again including Jones "You see; this is our main difference. I do not fear a mere name, and a made-up one that is; but nevertheless, I'll give you the chance for promotion, we will duel right here" and the whole room buzzed with commotion.

"But sir, you look exhausted; are you sure you want to do this?" Vlad stated with worry.

"Don't worry Vlad; sometimes you have to fight while you are fatigued" Harry said joyfully as he conjured off the table and the chairs, and all the aurors stood near the walls giving the duelists their needed space; many of the aurors were anxious to see the legendary Harry Potter in action; but a few of them were sharing that same view Jones has, but were too fearful to bring it up; and now they can test their theory with nothing to lose.

"In this duel everything goes, even the unforgivables including the killing curse; keep in mind that you cannot apparate here due to the anti-apparition ward, but still you can dodge any curses, or have you forgot how?" Harry said scornfully.

"Why you …" Jones bit his lips in anger as he assumed the stance of attack.

"If you brought me down, then I will highly recommend you in the next auror promotion; and if you killed me, you can assume the command of the whole battalion, and everybody here will be a witness" Jones eyes gleamed as Harry spoke of the rewards "however, if you failed to do so or I defeated you, I will cast you out of the whole battalion", Jones thought for a second and calculated the whole ordeal; then he thought to himself 'I will not let that boy defeat me'

"Begin" Harry yelled and waited for Jones to shoot first. Jones pulled out his wand and threw his first curse "_Discerpo_" and the severing curse flew across the room, but it was stopped by Harry's shield.

"Being a bit ambitious, are we?" Harry sneered.

"_Suctsempra_"

"Awww, that was good; but not good enough"

Jones kept throwing a curse after another; but Harry didn't even budge and shield didn't weaken. Jones cried in frustration before bellowing "Crucio" and Harry dodged it in the last moment.

"Now you are being serious; I was waiting for that moment" Harry said in an apparent relief

"The moment of your death" Jones bellowed

"No, the moment you lose your temper; your accuracy has got pretty low right now"

"Pretty low! You'll see … _IMPERIO_" the curse hit Harry squarely in the chest; the whole hall gasped in terror and Jones stood in triumph "Bow to me; admit your defeat"

Harry simply stood with his hands behind his back and spoke "I admit …" Jones grinned with triumph "… that you are a bit old for this child play" Jones became stunned, and the aurors too were stunned to see someone who can fight the influence of the Imperious curse rather easily.

"H-How …"

"When you have a strong mind, which I doubt you have, you can fight this so-called curse easily. Now, show me how serious you are"

"_AVADA KEDAVRA_" and the sickening green lightening ray flew toward Harry who merely brushed his hand against it, and it reflected toward the ceiling.

"Enough play" Harry said firmly "Let us finish this … _STUPEFY_" the stunner flew across the room hitting Jones on the chest and he flew backwards for three meters; the whole hall went speechless and they looked in awe at the Boy-Who-Lived, the legend, their commander.

"_Innervate_" Harry revived Jones, who was feeling ashamed and frightened at the same time.

Harry looked at the defeated auror firmly "You've been weighed, you've been measured, and you've been found wanting. Now, return to the ministry at once"

Jones hastily stepped out of the hall, which was still in deep silent. Then Harry turned to them and spoke with a voice of authority "Everyone, return to your homes and collect your belongings; tomorrow you will be sorted into teams and your hideouts will be your new houses. Also, I will personally train you to be more agile and powerful, but it will be scheduled for … Dismiss"

* * *

**_A/N:_** Phew; that was a truly tough chapter to write, but it was necessary as a link between the previous and the next one. The next one will hold a surprise; so enjoy this one for a while.

Read and Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeease.


	9. Reunion

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Harry Potter or any other character that J.K. Rowling owns; but I own the other characters.

**_A/N:_** This is the chapter I waited so long to write; I assure you that you will like it. You ask why? Read it then ask yourself

* * *

**Reunion**

"Finally" Pierce exclaimed in excitement "I thought I was going to kill myself if the boredom didn't do it first"

"Hey" his wife Lydia pouted "Does that mean I was boring for the whole five days?"

"I didn't say that" Pierce retorted defensively "I only said I wanted something to keep me occupied"

Lydia smiled mischievously before replying "Well, you could've asked me before"

"Ask you what?" Pierce said in confusion, but he then realized what she meant and smiled back "You evil nymph; come here" he stood up and walked toward his wife, who jumped back "Catch me first you old man"

"Old man! I'll show you what this old man do; I know that you are ticklish lady" he said as he wiggled his fingers

"You wouldn't dare" she tried to run away from him, but he jumped at her and began to tickle her mercilessly "S-Stop; p-please stop"

"Not until you tack back what you said"

"Okay, okayyyyyyyy; you are not an old man" she said while laughing

"And" he demanded while still tickling her.

"And, and you are the most handsome man I ever saw"

"You are right on that" Pierce stopped tickling her and began to groom his hair in a playboy manner, which earned him a giggle from Lydia "You are so full of yourself, do you know that?"

"I know" Pierce replied with a laugh "And you are my beautiful wife" and he kissed her hand.

"Oh Pierce" she hugged him and kissed him lightly on the lips "I love you"

"I love you too" he said hugging her back "Why don't we go and see our little angel?"

"I'm right behind you" they both walked toward their daughter's room; and when they stepped in they saw Sherry fully awake.

"Good morning, love" Lydia picked up her jumping daughter and cuddled her. Then she handed her to Pierce.

"Hey there little pixie" he snuggled her and began to nuzzle her petit neck.

"Pierce, doesn't she look a little pale?" Lydia said with worry; and Pierce put his hand on Sherry's forehead "She is a little warm too"

"I'll take her to the hospital" Lydia said, but Pierce looked at his her and said firmly "No, I'll take her myself"

"But … Your work …" she didn't complete her sentence as he interrupted her "Family first"

---------------------------------

"Ron, RON YOU LAZY ARSE WAKE UP" Ginny bellowed at the fast sleeping redhead.

"Ginny, let me sleep" Ron said between snorts and put a pillow on his head.

"Not when Hermione is waiting for you, get up" she yelled at him but was answered with a loud snort "That does it" she exited the bedroom and walked across the hall toward the kitchen. Hermione saw her cursing under her breath.

"Ginny, it is alright; I will go ahead of him; let him get up when he wants to"

"Then we will have to wait for a hundred years" Ginny retorted angrily, and stepped inside the kitchen. Hermione heard the noise of metal pots colliding before Ginny comes out of the kitchen with a bucket full of water and ice; and barely held an escaped laughter as she could foresee what will happen.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH" Ron yell came out of the bedroom as she heard the sound of water being poured out of the bucket. And she laughed as she never did before.

"If you don't get up I'll do it again" Ginny bellowed before exiting the room. She threw the bucket back inside the kitchen "Sorry Hermione, but my brother is a real pain in the arse every morning"

"Don't worry about that, I have a cousin who used to have the same problem; but I never had a thought of using icy water, you are such a creative mind Ginny"

"Thank you Hermione" Ginny said with a chuckle "Being the only girl while growing with six brothers is such a hard feat to achieve; but it has its own advantages"

At the moment she finished, Ron stepped out of his room fully dressed; but his hair was still damp from the 'morning shower' he have just had.

"Good Morning Ron; I never knew you were a heavy slumber" Hermione said between giggles, and she was answered with a low grumble from Ron.

"Good thing you're awake now Ron; or I would have tried plan B" Ginny said evilly; and Ron asked her rather aggressively "And what the bloody would it be?"

"Won't tell; but maybe I'll use it next time you slumber … Ciao" she replied before exiting the apartment.

"I got a demon for a sister" Ron remarked in gloominess; and Hermione tittered "Don't be so unfair Ron, she is a nice person; and she has a truly remarkable personality"

"The Devil's personality; to be precise" he replied darkly "Anyway; how was yesterday's case?"

"Dismal" Hermione said irritably "The bloke has confessed that he killed his wife while under influence"

"And they say life can't get any happier" he retorted sarcastically.

"And that is not all; we discovered that he killed her for money, and she was only having five dollars"

"What a git" Ron said in disgust "But why are you so angry, this is not the first time you encounter something like that, is it?"

"No, I'm not annoyed for that; it is my parents, they are coming to the states in the next three weeks"

"Well, I consider that a good news usually" Ron said cautiously.

"Not when you are marked for death" she replied quickly "And they will give me a constant headache with their lectures"

Ron barked with laughter at her remark "I don't think they are as bad as my mother; she had thrown a soup spoon at me once for breaking her favorite dish; I got a headache for a week after the hit"

Hermione giggled but didn't comment; they stepped outside and went to work in her car.

"I still don't get it" she blurted suddenly "Why don't you have a car until now?"

"I told you Hermione, I don't like driving cars" Ron said as the memory of the second year came to his mind.

"A man without a car is an incomplete man; that's what I think at least; no offense intended" she said casually, but Ron's face reddened and felt as if his manly pride has been injured as he retorted "Plenty taken, actually; then you do think that I and Harry are incomplete men"

"NO, of course not" she replied defensively "Speaking of Harry, has he contacted you yet?"

"No" he lied "And you"

"Not a word" she sight with frustration "I'm beginning to believe that he has used us as a source of information; I should've known better than to trust a private investigator"

"Whoa, Hermione wait a minute; Harry and I are best mates for a long time; he wouldn't exploit people for his benefit; he is probably busy with something"

"At least he should've given us a way to contact him"

"Don't worry, he will" Ron said as they were nearing the precinct and he remembered something "By the way, how is Pierce doing?"

"I forgot to tell you; he called me this morning and said he will be late because his daughter got a fever"

"Be late! Isn't he on a sick leave?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Yes, but he said that his wounds has healed fully, as if it was touched by magic"

"WHAT?" he exclaimed with anger "That mendacious trickery witch …"

"Who?" Hermione asked in confusion, and he realized that he was cursing loudly "A person that I should speak face-to-face with"

She didn't push to the matter as she parked her car and they entered the precinct.

-------------------------------

"Somebody help" Pierce shouted as he burst into the ER; Alicia turned around and saw Pierce running toward her with a toddler in his arms.

"What is it sir?"

"My baby; she has a fever"

"She is hot" Alicia said as she felt the child's forehead "Bring a gurney" she bellowed at two nearby nurses who were chatting.

"What's happening to my baby?" Lydia said with tears beginning to flow out of her eyes.

"We will know soon ma'am" Alicia said as she pushed the gurney "Exam 2, now"

As soon as they disappeared, Ginny stepped in the ER. She walked casually toward the nurse station.

"Good morning Martha, how is the action this morning"

"Good morning to you Dr. Weasley; I would've just said it is dull if that man didn't burst into here"

"Which man?" Ginny asked with curiosity.

"He was carrying a feverish child; I think Dr. Adams has taken her to exam 2"

"Thank you Martha, I'll go and see if I can be of any help" Ginny said as she walked toward the room.

"Alicia, need any help?" Ginny asked her colleague; but stopped dead when she saw a couple she knew"

"Ginny"

"Dr. Weasley"

"Mr. and Mrs. McLaden; what happened" Ginny greeted the couple.

Pierce exclaimed in agony "It is Sherry; she was perfectly right this morning with only a slight fever, but when we brought her here her temperature has shot up"

"I need you here Gin; her temp is 104 and rising" Alicia yelled.

"I'll see what I can do" Ginny patted the crying Lydia and stepped into action.

------------------------------

"Bloody Hell! He is returning to his git personality again" Ron exclaimed as he punched his desk.

"Johnson has always been a git; but maybe he has gone far this time" Hermione said calmly but couldn't suppress her anger.

"But replacing the whole department with his agents? He has gone beyond far"

"I think he is trying to make us submit to his authority" Hermione explained

"What I think is that he needs another dose of Harry"

"Someone called for me?" both of them jumped as Harry suddenly appeared behind them.

"HARRY" Hermione yelled excitedly while resisting the temptation of hugging him.

"When did you arrive mate; we didn't hear the door open" Ron asked him while trying to regain his composure.

"A while a go; but you were so immersed in your conversation to hear anything. So, how is your work?"

"First you tell me Potter; what were you doing and why were you absent for a whole five days?"

"Hermione; you shouldn't ask a private investigator about his work" he said calmly with a hint of scolding.

"But you can ask about ours, right" Hermione retorted with the same rebuking manner.

"Ouch, good one Granger" Harry said backing off "Okay, you win; I was searching for any clue that can lead us to Muerte's hideout or his thugs"

"No one ever found it Harry; last time we caught him he was preparing to leave for Columbia" Hermione said.

"Then you should think of finding it right now" Harry replied firmly.

"It is no use Harry; the FBI has taken full charge, cases and all" she said sadly

"Well, I think I should have another friendly conversation with a certain agent" Harry eyes gleamed mischievously and the trio laughed. At that moment Pierce stepped in the office.

"Hey buddies; long time no see" Pierce greeted them with sheer joy.

"Pierce; good to have you back mate" Ron smiled at him.

"Mutual feelings Wes" then he notices Harry "We hadn't met before; a new detective?"

"Oh, I'm Harry Potter. I'm private detective" Harry extended his hand, which was accepted by Pierce.

"Another Brit! Hell, there is a club forming in here. And you said you are a PI; I never knew that LAPD detectives and PIs are working together; or was it a new policy they approved while I was out"

Hermione stepped in the conversation and explained "Actually, the whole department is under the authority of the FBI; Johnson's to be precise"

"JOHNSON! That rat dares to return here after what he has done?" Pierce said angrily

"That's why we are working together with Harry; he is hunting down a cult who call themselves the 'Death Eaters', they seem to be working with Muerte these days; they were those suspects who were using those strange beam weapons the night you got hurt"

"It was really scary; but if that pisses off Johnson, then count me in" Pierce said in joy, and Harry smiled at his luck; his muggle aid is growing larger and he should thank God for it.

"How is Sherry by the way?" Hermione asked in a worry.

"She is actually fine; still sick but her condition is stable thanks to your sister Wes" Pierce patted his shoulder.

"Who? Ginny?"

"Until you have another sister we don't know, it is her whom I talk about. My whole family now owes her a life debt"

"That's Ginny; a lifesaver; and my tormentor" Ron said and only Hermione laughed as she has understood him.

"What's funny?" Harry and Pierce asked; Hermione told them what happened early that morning and how Ron got himself drenched in icy water by his raging sister, and a gale of laughter swept over them save Ron. It would have been a good laugh if Johnson didn't chose this moment to enter the office.

"What a happy group? Remind me of old days" he mocked at them.

"Long time no see … Johnson" Pierce spitted "You seem to be well-fed; I didn't knew they have pigs nursery in the FBI"

The trio barely suppressed their laugh when they saw Johnson's facial reaction at the remark "Very funny McLaden; you didn't change at all, the same old clown Pierce"

"At least it is better than a pig. Oh, my mistake, you are not a pig; you are a genuine rat"

"I warn you McLaden …" Johnson threatened dangerously.

"What? Not to test your patience? Don't worry, I stopped beta testing and shifted toward Post-Marketing surveillance. But how about we leave our feud behind, let me invite you to breakfast"

Ron and Harry felt strange at the sudden change in Pierce; but only Hermione smiled as she knew what was coming next.

"Unfortunately, they are serving on type of food; your favorite chili-sandwich"

Hermione began to laugh at the sight of sheer fury on Johnson's face; Johnson himself felt like wanting to strangle Pierce to death.

"Very funny McLaden, and because of your 'funny' jokes you leave me no choice but to take over the whole computer system of the precinct" Johnson retaliated before storming out of the office.

"Watch out for the mousetraps" that was from Pierce who didn't want to waste a second without teasing. Harry and Ron looked in confusion at the laughing detectives.

"What is so funny?" Ron asked.

"Sorry we didn't explain. You see, Pierce used to pull pranks on Johnson, and one of his favorite pranks was replacing Johnson's lunch sandwich with a another one full of hot red pepper; it caused him a stomachache for the rest of the day"

"I call it my chili-sandwich prank" Pierce remarked.

"Well, that was cool; but we have a problem here, if he was right and took over the whole computer system then we can't follow up with the case" Harry said worriedly; but Pierce made a 'not to worry' face.

"This will be my problem; they can have the whole system; but they can't kick out the programmer easily. I programmed the whole system and have put many ways to login, including a back door I place just in case the password got changed by mistake"

"That's Pierce, a computer wizard" Hermione remarked proudly.

"Then you can login and search for any cases related to our case here" Harry said interestedly.

"That's right; you can count on me" Pierce replied confidently.

"Great; then I'll leave you to it. I have other work to do; maybe we won't see each other for a month or so"

"Hey, you can't just leave, you've just came; what team is this if you can't be present?" Hermione protested.

"I'm sorry 'mione; but as I told you before I am searching for Muerte's whereabouts; bye" Harry waved his hand goodbye and stepped out of the office.

"Git" Hermione muttered.

"But a bonnie git, that's for sure" Ron winked at her and she blushed.

"What is it?" Pierce inquired

"I think that Hermione fancies Harry" Ron said and told him about the drive-by and about Harry's outburst on Johnson.

"Will if that tells something, it is not to underestimate that guy. I never thought that he was capable of getting angry; he looked so calm and friendly. Anyway, I think we should do as he said" Pierce said as he reclaimed his position in front of the computer.

"I feel it was more like an order than a simple request" Hermione said thoughtfully

A vague smile stretched across Ron's face "Maybe"

-----------------------------------

During the next three weeks, Harry vigorously trained the aurors both physically and mentally, and they all showed high potentials including Jones replacement. After the training ended he sorted them into different teams and ordered them to search the entire city for any suspected location suitable in being a hideout; they ended in finding three suitable locations; and with thorough surveillance they confirmed that they are indeed Muerte's thugs' hideouts.

"Vanessa, take your team to location one and keep constant surveillance; I want to know the number of the thugs, number and type of weapons they got, and the guard shifts; same goes to you aurors Lee and Hanson and your teams, Lee will check location two, while Hanson takes location three. I want three full reports by the end of the day, just remember to use normal muggle cameras; dismiss"

"Right away, sir" the three aurors saluted him firmly before going to their respective missions.

"If may I ask sir, why do we need to know about them; we can storm their hideouts and surprise them" Vlad asked in confusion and curiosity.

"Because of two things Vlad; The first one is to know your enemy before attacking, this will decrease the casualties drastically; and do not underestimate your enemy even if he was a muggle; they may not have magical abilities, but their weapons are much more destructive that a simple Reductor curse. Secondly, we will not strike by ourselves; I will simply hand the intelligence to the muggle detectives and oversee the operation discretely"

"And why is that sir?" Vlad became more confused.

"Well, you don't want to alert the death eaters about our numbers in this early stage, o you? We will let the small fish for the muggles and will take the big one by ourselves in the right time"

"I understand sir" Vlad saluted his superior, who smiled at him calmly.

"Have you ever played wizard chess Vlad?" Harry asked suddenly.

"No sir" the Russian auror answered in confusion.

"You should do so; and you too Dick; because death trackers are superb players" Harry said vaguely.

"Sir, do you mean …" Dick said in bewilderment before being interrupted by Harry "Yes, I mean so; you two along with Sofia are the best aurors I've ever worked with, and your unique abilities must be utilized to the maximum; so it is unwise for the three of you to remain low-ranked aurors"

"Sir, I-I …" Vlad stuttered as the words so he saluted Harry firmly "Thank you sir"

"Now don't get over-sentimental; I never flatter anyone in the job so you earned that yourselves. When this mission comes to an end, I will highly recommend the three of you for promotion"

"Thank a lot for your trust sir" Dick said as he saluted him.

"I know where I can put it Dick; now we need to broaden the headquarters anti-apparition zone a little bit, but this also means that our apparition point will move away too. Dick, can you think of a 'technical' solution to this eternal dilemma?"

"I think I can test a theory I just put, sir; I can key the whole team and maybe anyone via the PC here" and he pointed at his trusted personal computer "I can set the apparition point anywhere and selectively allow wizards and witches to be able to apparate to that zone; I will only need a full profile of every person you want to key-in, I will upload it to the computer and send signals with similar wavelength to the ordinary apparition zones"

"Great, but what is the weak point of this theory?" said Harry in apparent interest.

Dick took a deep breath and gave it a thought for a second "Well, the catch is that this ward-penetration system depends solely on the computer. So, if the latter went haywire …"

"It might cripple the penetration process" Harry interrupted, getting the idea.

"Or worse" Dick retorted "It might allow other personnel to breach the ward … undetected"

Harry looked gravely at dick trying to evaluate the whole deal "So, you say that we can breach the ward easily but via a medium, a computer; and this one to be precise. But the problem is that the computer might break down preventing us from keying-in, or allowing unauthorized personnel to gain access to our will-hidden headquarters"

"This is it sir; great benefit with a rather major risks" dick stated firmly.

"And who said I've ever heeded the risks; our job itself is the ultimate risk" Harry said with a smile "Carry on with plan"

"Right away, sir" Dick smiled and saluted his superior.

"Okay, I need to prepare a new room now. Vlad, would you help me please?" he beckoned Vlad to follow him, and they both entered a small dim room next to the meeting hall. Harry checked it thoroughly before nodding "Great, this will do it"

"What sir?"

"We need to prepare holding cells with an interrogation chamber; to decrease the time needed for enchantment I want you to take do half the work, we need five holding cells with a concentrated anti-apparition ward around each one, and an interrogation chamber. I will erect the walls needed for separation, and you will apply the wards on each section. Now, let's begin"

It took them five hours to prepare the holding cells completely; and the interrogation chamber alone took another two hours. When they finished the whole work they were utterly exhausted.

"At last we finished; of course it is still primitive compared to a true enchanter doings, but it can be considered an adequate deed for aurors" said Harry while massaging his shoulder.

"It has truly drained me out sir" Vlad stated as he tried to keep his eyes open; Harry smiled at the remark and replied "Do you know why Vlad?"

"No sir; an it really surprised me sir because I never felt that tired after a battle"

"That is because you release intermittent bursts of magic during battle; not a steady stream; it is similar to a handgun and a flamethrower which are muggle weapons if you didn't know them. A handgun fires a bullet after another intermittently which barely heat it up, but a flamethrower releases a steady flow of flames which cause the weapon to heat up rapidly, apply the same concept to yourself with your own body as the weapon and your magic spells as the bullets or the flames and you will understand it eventually"

"I will try sir; but to do that I need to rest for a while first"

Harry chuckled "Actually, both of us are in need of leisure; let's put our head on a pillow for a couple of hour and we will feel refreshed afterwards" he finished his sentence with a yawn and ushered the Russian auror to follow him to the team sleeping quarters. They quickly slumbered due to their exhaustion, but Harry didn't gain much of a sleep because of floo call

"Sir, it is a floo call from St. Mungo's; they say that Parkinson has awakened" Dick said after he awakened his commander.

"About time" Harry said as he stretched his arms and sat up "When did it happen?"

"They say it happened an hour ago, but they needed to check her vitals before calling"

"Okay, listen Dick; I want you to contact the minister and ask for more aurors to guard Parkinson; after I question her thoroughly we will move her back to UK"

"Right away sir" Dick replied before returning to his position. Harry stretched his arms a second time before muttering to himself "Let's see what you got Parkinson"

-------------------------------

Fifteen minutes later he was passing the gates of St. Mungo's; he reached the detention ward and entered.

"Potter" Pansy greeted dryly as she saw him enter the ward.

"Parkinson, or should I say … Mrs. Malfoy" He retorted, and a sad look hovered on her face.

"It doesn't matter now, because Draco will never accept me back; especially after I joined the death eaters"

"Which bring us to the main subject" Harry stated firmly "Why have you joined them?"

"At that point I don't now; I always tell myself that I wanted to kill Flint, but I think that I joined them to punish myself for not being able to protect my baby" when she reached the last part her lower lip trembled, and she began to cry silently.

Harry respected her need for vacating her emotions and waited for her to calm down; when she calmed down she began the questioning again "They will pay for their crimes, I assure you; but in order to bring them down we need to know what sort of spell they used on the victims"

"Explodia" she answered calmly "The total explosion curse; it is not a new curse but an ancient one. Flint only taught it to his trusties whom I couldn't be one of them, so I only know it by name"

"Which is enough; we will search for full details in the old dark arts books.i just have another question; do you know where the death eater headquarter is?"

"I used to know where it is, but Flint always obliviate the death eaters before they go to their missions; only those in his inner circle are not obliviated; and they are merely a handful"

"Truly a fox" Harry said "Will, that is enough for now; in the mean time you need to regain your strength because you will be transferred to UK for trial"

"I don't care" she said sadly "Let them serve me to the veil; I desire to keep on living anymore"

Harry felt sympathy toward the ruined mother; he sat beside her and spoke calmly "If you need my opinion, what you have done is considered an insult to your daughter's memory. Life goes on even if we felt the opposite of that, and even if we lost those whom we loved. I will support you in the trial just because I knew what you have been through; just remember that you are not alone, there are always people who care about you" Harry stood up and walked toward the door.

"Harry" Pansy whispered and he turned to her and saw tears glistening in her eyes "Thank you" she smiled at him, and he smiled back "You are welcome"

As soon as he stepped out of the room, he got a call via the invisible headphone. He reached an isolated corridor before answering the call.

"Talk"

"This is auror Howards, sir"

"Dick, what is it? I hope it is something important" Harry said firmly

"It is sir; it seems that Minister Malone wouldn't comply with your request, I think he needs some convincing"

"That is not good" Harry muttered "I'm quite busy now; I will floo him when I return to the HQ; I'm quite busy now"

"Don't worry sir; you can call him right now"

"And how is that"

"You see sir; this invisible headphone is not just for audio transmission, or it will be like any other muggle headphone. There is a button just above the mike, push it"

Harry pushed the button, and to his surprise a green miniature three dimensional image of Dick appeared in the middle air. "You never seize to amaze me Dick" he said while smiling in astonishment.

"That you sir; the device could even be upgraded with more features if I could have enough funding from the ministry" Dick said with hope.

"I will consider it then"

"Thank you, sir. Now I will connect you to the floo-network so you can call the minister"

"Is the line secure enough for the call?"

"It is sir; and it will appear to him as if you were calling by floo" Dick said just before his image faded; and the image of Minister Malone appeared.

"Potter" the minister greeted rather aggressively.

"Minister"

"What is this nonsense that auror Howards told me about; why do you want to transfer that death eater Parkinson to England"

"To present her before the tribunal, sir"

"Like we don't have any court here; she will be put on trial, and here in USA"

Harry replied calmly "With all due respect sir; if she has committed any crime that will be when she was in England; and I can prove that she didn't kill anybody here"

"And how is that" the minister asked firmly

"By Legilimensy sir"

The minister said nothing for a minute before speaking "Potter; why do you care for her wellbeing that much?"

Harry never hesitated to speak his mind "Because, sir, I do not think that she has ever been a death eater; I've just finished questioning her and she said that she joined them so she can kill Flint by herself; and more than that she wanted to punish herself for not being able to protect her slain daughter. What I think, sir, that she is more a ruined mother than a death eater to me; and all that I ask that she is given a chance to be tried by her kin"

The minister caught every word Harry said and gave it a deep thought "If I didn't trust your judgment then I would've let you lead this mission; permission granted"

"Thank you sir for your trust"

"I will wait for more good news, Potter"

"You can count on me to bring it, sir" Harry said calmly as the call ended.

-----------------------------

"I found another one" Pierce exclaimed excitedly, and Ron and Hermione walked across the desk and sat beside him.

"If it is another old case I will …" Ron blurted in frustration, but was interrupted by Pierce "Actually, it is a fresh one this time; but it took place in another state; Florida. But if you checked the picture of the victim" Pierce said as he enlarged the picture "That same as our customers"

"My God!" Hermione said almost in a whisper "Florida! How big is this cult!"

"After they went overseas; no body knows" Ron replied almost in dazed by the monstrosity of the picture 'What is that all about Flint?' he thought to himself.

The fax suddenly came to life; and began to print something. "Finally" Hermione exclaimed.

"What is it 'mione" Ron asked her.

"It is a request I sent three hours ago to Scotland Yard; I asked them if there was any activities related to the 'Death Eater' cult" she replied before picking up the papers "Yes, they say that there were some activities in Devonshire; but that last activity recorded was two years ago. That's odd, I was always on the look of any old cases to read in my time off, but I never came across THIS file"

"Maybe you didn't look thoroughly" Ron said to her although he knew that this file was inserted into the Yard's database by the Ministry of Magic three weeks ago.

"Anyway; I think that we have enough information to study their tactics and research their killing style; I just wish that Harry is faring just as well"

"Missing the bloke, luv" Ron remarked teasingly. And Pierce howled with laughter "What I think Wes, that she desperately needs a date; why don't we sit them up"

"Honestly, you two …" Hermione said angrily, and couldn't help blushing fiercely; but in her mind she said 'I wish to; it will be like a dream comes true'

--------------------------------------

Harry spent the next two hours in the restricted section in the library; and with the name given by Pansy he easily found the information about the curse; but it was just a concise article with no details about how to use it.

He sighed in frustration and muttered "I wish I was in England; this library is hardly enough for such research"

He copied the article and returned to the HQ; where he found the squad leaders waiting for him.

"Sir, the reports are completed" Vanessa stepped forward and handed him the three reports.

"Good" Harry said "Now return to your posts"

The three leaders exchanged confused looks before Lee asked "Why don't we attack them right now sir?"

"I knew you would ask that question; but first I want to ask you myself, can you remind me with the third decree from section twenty five in the 'Auror Ethics Statute'?"

The three aurors exchanged looks again before Hanson spoke "Aurors are not to interfere with muggle security forces or to arrest any muggle criminal …"

Lee continued "The only exception is when the muggle criminal threatens the safety of a wizard civilian, when they ally themselves with a wizard outlaw, or when the Minister of Magic gives the consent of bring him/her in"

"Well done, I see that you have done your homework?" Harry said smiling.

Vanessa stepped in "But sir; isn't that exception applied to those muggles? They have allied themselves with the death eaters"

"You are right Vanessa; but this catch is too small to be handled by aurors, I want to pass it on to the muggle police so they handle it themselves and wait for the bigger catch; their boss along with Flint himself; now return to your posts and inform the other team leaders of the same thing; dismiss"

"Roger, sir" The three leaders saluted his and stepped out of the HQ.

"Dick; you can rest for a while as there is nothing we can do now; in the mean time I will return to my flat or a certain own will be quite upset with my neglect" Harry said with a smile and went out of the HQ.

----------------------------------

The next morning came rather quickly, but Hermione was fast asleep because she worked until a late hour last night; but her comfort came to an end as the hall was felled with ringing as the phone came to life. She ignored the irksome machine and covered her head with the pillow, but it seems as if it will go forever; so she dragged herself out of bed and picked up the phone almost tearing it off the wall.

"Bloody hello, do you know what time is it you wanker?" she yelled with irritation.

"Hermione, is this a tone you speak with when you talk with your mother?" the voice scolded; and she came out of her trance "M-Mum; why are you calling in this late hour? I told you before that it is early morning in the states"

"I know, but since we don't know where do you live we need you to pick us up from the airport"

Hermione had a mixed up look on her face "Pick you up? Airport? MOM; don't tell me that you …"

"Yes we are young woman" her father's firm voice came out of the phone "Now I want you to come down here that instance; I am beginning to lose my patience" and she heard the phone being hanged up.

"Oh, brother" she moaned and stepped into the shower.

------------------------------------

"Hermione, we are here" she saw her mother waving at her at the end of the pavement; she parked her car and stepped out of it.

"It's good to see you Hermione, what took you so long?" her mother asked while hugging her.

"I ran though some really heavy traffic" Hermione said returning the hug "Where is dad?"

"I think he went to check for available hotels"

"You will NOT be staying at a hotel while I'm here; that would be a shame" Hermione said almost scolding her mother.

"We don't want to trouble you dear" her mother said tenderness.

"You are not; in fact I'm feeling rather lonely and you could keep me company, at least for the two hours I spend at home" she said laughing "And I do have an extra bedroom that you can use"

Dan Granger came out of the airport with a brochure at hand "I think I found a suitable hotel, Emma. Oh, hello Hermione"

"Hi daddy" she hugged her father tightly.

"Sorry for yelling at you early this hour; but I was very frustrated at the slow process of the airport" he returned the hug "How is my sweat little girl"

"I'm fine dad; but I'm not a little girl anymore"

"You will always be my little girl; even if you blossom into a fine mature woman like you did now"

"All what she needs now is a man looking after her" Emma teased her, and Hermione blushed fiercely "Mom, not that matter again"

"Your mother is right, you know. You cannot live alone forever" Dan said seriously "We will not stay at your side for long; and I want to see my grandchildren before I die"

"Dad; don't say that. And for that matter; after what happened to my last boyfriend, I don't think I have enough courage lift to start a new relationship" Hermione said rather sadly.

"These are not words uttered by a Granger. And you should know that life goes on; and the death of a person does not mean the end of life, your destiny is still before you; and you should start to think of life, not death. But that doesn't mean to pick a random bloke off the street" she laughed at his last words which alleviated her mood a little; "That's my Hermione; nothing is worth feeling sad for in this life"

"Dad, if you really want me not to feel sad, then you will stay in my flat while you are here" she looked at him obstinately.

"But Hermione … Ahhh, I know when I'm cornered. Okay, you win this time" and they all got in the car.

--------------------------------------

It took them an hour to reach Hermione's apartment; and when they reached it, they found Harry waiting in front of the door.

"Harry" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, Hermione; you are here" he greeted her with his trademark calm grin.

"How did you know my address?" she asked his curiously.

"Simply; I asked" he answered her calmly "And with Ron being your neighbor, it didn't take that long to find it"; he then noticed her companions "Sorry for being rude; I'm Harry Potter" he extended his hand to Dan who accepted it immediately while glancing at the young man as if he was weighing him.

"Harry; this is my father Daniel Granger, and this is my mother Emma Granger; they are both dentists and they are here on a vacation"

"Pleasure to meet you sir" Harry said politely

"The pleasure is mine. So, what brings a red-blooded Englishman down her in the far side of the world? Are you on vacation?"

"Actually, dad; he is a private investigator, and we are working on a mutual case" Hermione interjected.

"Oh, then I assume that you came early this morning to discuss work"

"You are absolutely right sir. I can clearly see where Hermione inherited her intellect from" Dan chuckled, and Hermione blushed at the indirect compliment.

"Hey, I'm not dumb, too" Emma protested comically.

"I said nothing ma'am; but I think she inherited other thing beside intelligence from you; strong personality and maybe … Good looks"

Hermione turned crimson red, and her mother giggled "Oh, thank you Mr. Potter; although I think that you should say that flattery directly to my daughter"

"Let go inside darling and leave those two younglings to their chit-chat" he winked at Hermione as he rounded his wife's shoulders and they went inside together.

"Honestly" Hermione sighed "They can be really unbearable sometimes"

"On the contrary, I found them really amusing; you should be thankful for having such wonderful and loving parents"

"Don't you dare flatter me again, Potter" she pointed a scolding finger at him, but couldn't help but to smile.

"I don't flatter 'mione; I only state facts, they are lovely parents, and you are beautiful" her heart leapt at the final statement "What?" she asked him to make sure.

"I said that you are beautiful; both physically and spiritually; I don't think this is the first time you heard of it"

"No, but the men always look at my body first; which vexes me beyond reason; I am not a harlot" Hermione exclaimed in irritation.

"No body said that, and you should not think that way. You are a good person Hermione. And the gentleness of your soul surpasses your physical beauty; but the people do not look beyond the surface"

"You are such a philosopher, Harry Potter; do you know that?" she said smiling at him.

"I didn't know; thank you for telling me" he said comically to cover his nervousness but then turned into a serious tone "Now let's get down to business; I came here this early hour to give you this" he pulled a dossier out of his coat's pocket.

"What is it?" Hermione said as she leafing through it.

"Muerte's thugs' recent hideouts" he answered calmly, and she almost dropped the folder.

"Harry; this is a rather large and detailed document; how have you been able to put your hand on such thing?" she said as she scanned the details of each hideout.

"A good source is a helpful source" said Harry smiling, then leaned at the papers "Look here, here, and here; these are the main entrances of the hideouts; I suggest that you attack through them concurrently while another team watching the secondary entrances in here" and he pointed at another door "This surprise attack will catch them off guard, and will extremely decrease your casualties. Oh, and I didn't mention that it will piss Muerte off his mind … Shock and Awe" he smiled at her and leaned back.

Hermione was dumbfounded at his smart plan "God, Harry; you speak like a true commander"

He smiled at her remark but never replied; instead he assumed a serious face before speaking again "I'm sorry to come in this inappropriate time; but I want to hand you this file before leaving"

"Leaving where" asked the confused detective.

"Well, I received an urgent call from home; some old friends and I will meet up and discuss the recurring menace" he said trying to look too suspicious.

"You too! Ron has excused himself from work to go to England, too"

"Yes, that is because Ron and I were in the same posse that solved the death eater case back home"

"That's quite … weird; Ron said that he wanted to visit his parents, and he never mentioned anything about a meeting"

Harry felt like a fish being caught by a hook; Hermione was really cunning when it comes to interrogation; but he also has some tricks up his sleeve, he was a master strategist after all.

"Do you blame me for being honest with you?" he said calmly.

"Well, no; but it was odd that you both excused yourselves at the same time and have the same destination; with different purposes" she replied with obvious doubt in her voice

"Ron might have his reasons to hide his intentions, but I felt like I've hidden enough from you, and that is how you reward me for being honest" Harry said hoping she will buy it; and she seems to struggle in her mind before settling up.

"I'm just surprised, because it is a first time YOU tell me something confidential" she eyed him with inquiry.

"I've just told you; I didn't want to hide this matter from you. And to tell you the truth, if the meeting was fruitful, which I doubt it, I will share the outcome with you, feeling satisfied now?"

"Yes, thank you for your trust Harry" she smiled at him, and he smiled back "No, thank YOU for your patience and understanding for a whole month. Any other detective wouldn't have stand my way of work; but you have waited and observed patiently; and now you reap what you sow"

Hermione was amazed by his elegant reply "You never seize to amaze me, Potter; I never knew that you have such a silver tongue"

"I only state the truth; and to be honest I'm sure that Ron didn't lie; he will definitely visit his parents while we are in England"

"And you" she asked "Will you visit your parents too?", Harry was caught by surprise with this question; he took a minute to bury his struggling emotions deep inside before answering "Yes; I think I will do", then he tried to end this conversation "Okay, it is time to go; I have to go to Ron now or he will be taking the 'Morning Shower' again"

She giggled at the passing picture "Yes, I think you should", and she lean forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. He didn't expect it, and didn't blush because he was stunned beyond blushing.

"What was that about?" he asked in a hoarse voice, feeling awkward about the whole situation.

She looked at the floor shyly "Well, I remembered that I didn't thank you for saving me my life back then and I figured, well, you know" and a blush crept to her cheeks.

Harry felt his awkwardness double and he brushed his messy hair "Err … Any time; I MEAN … You're welcome" he stammered while trying to find suitable words. Hermione, on the other hand, found him rather cute "you are cute when you are stammering" she said almost in a whisper and blushed even more.

"T-Thank you" he replied with more stammer "I … I think I should go" he said while pointing on the other side; she nodded shyly and he walked away. Both of them thought at the same time _'Why do I feel sheepish?'_

-------------------------------------------©

Hermione stepped in her apartment only to find her mother sitting on the sofa watching something on the TV; "Mom, why aren't you sleeping?" she said and sat beside her.

"I slept in the plane; but your father, as usual, brought book to read which kept him up the whole time; so you will find him collapsed on the bed right now" said her mother casually; then she turned off the TV and looked at Hermione with a gleam "Now tell me; who is this chap really?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and answered "I told you before mom; he is an investigator, and we are working on a case together"

"So, nothing between you two; like snogging for instance"

"MOM" Hermione exclaimed blushing at the remark; and her mother giggled, "I'm not that kind" Hermione stated while fighting the blush.

"Why?" Emma retorted "He is a nice bloke; and bonnie too" she winked at her daughter and giggled as she saw the blush creeping again.

"Actually; I just gave him a peck on the cheek" Hermione's blush was beyond fighting now, and her mother's eyes gleamed with victory "I knew it; you fancy him Hermione"

"It was a 'thank you' peck, mom; for saving me" said Hermione; and began to tell her mother everything about the assassination attempt by Muerte's thugs and Harry's heroic intervention, not missing the panic appearing in her mother's eyes; and when she finished her story, Emma hugged her tightly and her tears began to flow.

"My baby; thank God for you being alive, and thank Harry too" then she looked seriously at her only daughter with her still-watery eyes "Hermione, if that tells me something, that is Harry is not an ordinary man; he is brave beyond words, and modest too; when we just met him he acted like he has done nothing; any other chap would have boasted around and told everybody about his deeds"

"I know" Hermione said quietly "I can't forget what happened; my mind froze when I saw the approaching car, and he was three meters away. Oh mom, if you saw him diving the whole three meters towards me; he looked like a soaring eagle" she hugged her knees and a dreamy look that her mother noticed and smiled at "And that was not all; he then covered me with his whole body protecting me from the bullet shower that followed; which mysteriously didn't harm anyone of us"

"I told you Hermione, this is a deed of a hero; any other bloke would've saved his skin first; I truly owe him a lot for saving my only child" she hugged her again.

"It is sad that he is only a temporary friend" said Hermione with disappointment.

"You can make him a permanent BOYFRIEND, Hermione" her mother said with a wink, and she blushed a little "You see, I knew you fancy him"

---------------------------------------

_'Yes Potter, admit it, you fancy her'_ Harry said to himself as he waited for Ron and Ginny, and he touched the spot she peck him at dreamily; he felt dazed after that kiss even that it was a mere peck on the cheek _'Yes, you fancy her Potter'_; he shook his head vigorously and unintentionally spoke out loudly "No time for that now"

"For what Harry?" Ron sounded while coming out of his room.

"Nothing, just … Err … my neck feels sore a bit" he lied while avoiding Ron's eyes, who felt that it was not the real matter but played along anyway "Well, you should let Ginny. HEY, GIN … Oh, Merlin" he groaned as he saw his sister coming out of her room with a rather large trunk hovering before her.

"For Merlin's sake Ginny; it is only for two days" he exclaimed with obvious annoyance, and she glared at him.

"Even if, a woman has to carry the necessary items with her anywhere she goes to"

"Yeah; and if I started to list of these 'Necessary Items', I won't finish until next week. Hell, I will even get a parchment with the length of seven of Snape's essays combined"

"O will you just shut it Ron" she yelled at him, then she glared at Harry who was grinning widely "And what is funny Potter?"

"Nothing" he backed off immediately "It's just that my soreness have just disappeared"

"Whatever …" she rolled her eyes and shrank her trunk and picked it up "Now" she exclaimed "Let's go, Shall we?" and they all exited the apartment.

------------------------------------

"No, Absolutely not detective" Captain Maonski's face flushed with anger as he yelled on the Hermione.

"But why captain; we can catch them all in on swift attack" she said not believing the denial her superior shows.

"I told you before, this is an FBI case now; and even if I didn't like them I won't obey a strange detective who has nothing but talk"

"You are wrong this time" she smiled in victory "He has THIS" she flashed the dossier at him; but unfortunately, Johnson chose this moment to enter.

"What is this detective?" Maronski said while leafing through the folder.

"Yeah, what is this Granger?" Johnson looked suspicious.

"None of your bloody business" she snapped at the agent; and snatched the folder from between the captain's fingers "If you don't want to help me, then you won't need this"

"Granger" both men exclaimed at her and Johnson tried to catch her; but she was gone by then.

"What was that all about?" demanded the agent while looking at Maronski.

"That Potter gave her a full surveillance document for the Columbian thugs' hideouts"

"WHAT? How could he do that? We even didn't know about these so-called hideouts"

"Believe it; the document even got photos of these hideouts"

"I've got to put my hands on that document" Johnson said firmly.

"Try it yourself; I won't stand in your way"

------------------------------------------

Harry, Ron, and Ginny reached the International Apparition Zone in Brimstone Alley, and from there they apparated to London; specifically to Diagon Alley.

"Ah, home sweet home" Ron sighed at the long unseen sight of the alley.

"Come on boys; let's give Fred and George a visit" Ginny exclaimed with excitement.

"I'm afraid I have other matters to tend to Ginny; sorry" Harry said to her; and Ron retorted sarcastically "Yeah; like Gringotts for instance" and Harry rolled his eyes but didn't replied.

"Oh, you are no fun you two. Okay, I will go then" and she disappeared in the crowd.

"So Harry, on our way then?" Ron ushered him and walked toward the bank. While they were walking and talking, a teenage girl came to them "Melrin, it's Harry Potter" and she hugged Harry tightly catching him off guard "Thank you, thank you, thank you; you have made our life easier by defeating the dark lord"

Harry, who was fighting to keep his balance, replied instantly "You're welcome; just … Can you let me go now, I can't keep my balance any longer"; she let him go and shot toward Ron, who was laughing at Harry's situation only to be in a similar one. The girl then said he farewell and disappeared in the crowd.

"Funny girl" Ron said "She reminds me of Luna in some sort"

"With more weirdness, I think" Harry said "Although I can't help but to feel uncomfortable at the whole thing" he said as he felt his sixth sense tingling.

"Now Harry, don't start mate; it is just your usual discomfort around girl" Ron said dismissively.

"Maybe" Harry said; and they both continued on their way, not noticing the gleam of triumph in the girl's eyes as he tightened her grip on her precious loot.

--------------------------------

Hermione slammed the office door waking up the drowsy Pierce.

"Hey, why do you always do that Herms" the sleepy detective questioned his furious partner.

"As long as there are dunces in authority, I will always do that; and why are you sleeping on duty" she eyed him fiercely.

"Sherry had a nightmare last night, so Lydia decided to bring her to our room; and she never returned to sleep after that" he ended his statement with a large yawn to prove he is right.

"What I've got will take away the sleep from your eyes" and she flashed the dossier before his face.

"Right" Pierce said half-heartedly "If you want to apply for a job here, miss, try the next office" he said teasingly; and Hermione rolled her eyes "Honestly, Pierce, will you behave seriously for once in your life"

He chuckled a bit then spoke "OK, now I'm serious; what is it?"

Her eyes gleamed as she opened the folder and put it in front of him "Muerte's thugs' hideouts". Pierce look speechless at the document; he quickly leafed through it, and then looked at his partner dazedly "Where … Where did you get this, this TREASURE?"

"Harry gave it to me this morning" she answered with equal excitement "Can you believe it?"

"If I wasn't holding it in my hands, I wouldn't believe it" he said with no trace of sleeplessness "How did he do that? It is a work of an organization, not a PI"

His words hit Hermione straightly in the mind 'Of course' she said to herself 'Of course, that is how he got his information so easily'; "And that is his 'good source', how sneaky"

"Err … I think you've lost me Hermione"; she noticed that she was talking to herself loudly; she took her time arranging her thoughts before speaking "Pierce, I have a favor to ask. I want you to look for any information regarding Harry Potter"

"Why?" he asked with more confusion "He is our alley; why do you want to research him?"

"Because …" she pressed her words "He seems to know more than a mere lone investigator; and he knows about us much more than we know about him. I want to level the playfield for us"

"Okay but it'll have to wait for now; we have an interesting business in our hands" Pierce said as he waved the folder.

"We will not go anywhere with it; that idiot Maronski refused to give permission to attack"

"WHAT?" Pierce exclaimed "Now he has gone too far"

"Because he knew his limits, McLaden, unlike you two" Johnson said as he stepped in the office in provocative way.

"What do you want Johnson? If you want the dossier then forget it, I will not give it to you and you cannot force me to; I know the law dealings with unofficial surveillance documents" Hermione shouted at the unflinching agent.

"Actually, I was hoping to reason with you. You see, the captain can't order the attack by himself because it is an FBI responsibility now; but if you handed us the document to examine, then something fruitful might come out of it; and we may even get the chance of taking down Muerte once and for all"

"Yeah, and get all the credits for yourself to boot" Pierce mumbled in an audible voice. And Johnson heard him all right "Better me than him" he said then turned his attention back to Hermione "What did you say Granger? Will you gave me the papers now so the FBI can study it thoroughly?"

Hermione looked at him intently for a minute as if she weighing his word, then she spoke slowly "Yes, I will hand it to you"

"Hermione!" Pierce exclaimed in disbelief; and Johnson smiled and was about to say something, but Hermione motioned him to stop "I didn't complete my answer; I will hand the folder to you only if you brought the proper warrant"

Johnson frowned at her answer but gave it a thought for a second "OK, I accept; just give me ten minutes to make some calls"

"Take your time; I'm not going anywhere" she said while smiling at him sarcastically. And as soon as he stepped out of the office Pierce exploded "Are you mad! Why have you accepted such prejudice?"

"Because this is the only way Pierce" she said patiently "We don't have time to convince Maronski with the case or the thugs might slip away. But don't worry; I will not give him the original files, I want you to copy it for me and then scan it into the computer so we can research it"

"That's a good start, but for what?" Pierce asked.

"I want you to compare the handwriting to the known ones; also we have to compare the style of information gathering to the styles of known organizations" she closed her eyes for a second before continuing "The good … And the bad"

-------------------------------------

Harry and Ron reached Gringotts bank after three dozens of handshakes or so; they barely could escape the excited mob as they squeezed their selves through.

"Blimey, they've gone totally mental" snorted Ron as he straightened his clothes.

"They are just a happy crowd, Ron" Harry said with a clam smile as he repaired his scratched glasses, and then changed to a mischievous grin "You wanted fame; then deal with the consequences"

"Frankly, I it less than appealing and I began to care more and more less about it" the redhead retorted "So, why don't you go on with your business and I will go on with mine"

"Okay, we will meet up right here afterwards" Harry said as both of them went into separate ways. He walked toward towards the desk of the director of Gringotts, and saw the hairy old goblin sitting at it.

"Director Ragnok" Harry greeted warmly.

"Mr. Potter, long time no see; and please Mr. Potter, it is Ragnok" the old director greeted back as he straightened his glasses

"Only if you called me Harry"

"Mr. Potter, you know that it is illicit for the bank employees to address the shareholders of Gringotts, especially the major ones such as yourself and Mr. Malfoy, improperly"

"O please, who has put this stupid rule?" Harry said in clear frustration.

"It appears to be the ministry in the days of Fudge" Ragnok replied calmly "But I presume that you are not here to discuss feasibility of the rules Mr. Potter"

"You are right on that. Actually I'm here to check if you have any progress in the tracing of my family line"

"We do have quite a progress in this aspect, sir. And what you said is true Mr. Potter; you are the last direct descendant of Godric Gryffindor"

"Great, although I know it already; but it's good to be sure"

"Actually" Ragnok interrupted "It also means that you are the legitimate owner of the Gryffindor Chamber"

"Gryffindor Chamber?" Harry said with total surprise "Isn't it a myth"

"Not at all Mr. Potter" Ragnok said with a smile "You see; we have helped in spreading the rumor to dishearten the false claimers; but the chamber is true and here, in Gringotts"

"Cool, why don't we go and check it then?" Harry said with eagerness.

"Alas; there is but one problem Mr. Potter; one of my associates, Griphook to be precise …" he said it as he gave his aide goblin a nasty look "… Has lost the key to the chamber in the keys vault. We already began to search for it, and we are down to the last pile of keys right now"

"So, it will take some time to find the key" Harry said with disappointment "I don't really have time for this, I'm quite busy these days"

"Not to worry Mr. Potter; by the end of the day we will find the key"

"But it will be after hours by then; and I will return to the states tomorrow"

"As a major shareholder, you can visit the bank at any time; and it is our fault that the key was lost"

"Very will; and that concludes our business in this matter" Harry said dismissively "Let's talk business now; how is your investigations regarding the death eaters assets?"

"It goes smoothly as a matter of fact; thanks to the list Mr. Malfoy gave to us. Also we found that some of these assets are shares in Gringotts"

"Crafty work" Harry muttered to himself "How much?"

"It can be equal to twenty percent of the total shares; what should we do about them?"

"Split them in half; and sell on half to the Weasley family" Harry said as he thought of the sheer happiness that will be on Ron's face.

"They do deserve it" Ragnok said "And what about the other ten percent?"

"The goblins can buy it" Harry said hastily, and Ragnok was taken aback by the answer.

"If I may say, sir; the magical creatures have no right to deal with the financial matters of the wizard world except as employees"

"Let me deal with the legalities; you just deal with the paperwork" said Harry, then he smiled mischievously "Maybe now you can call me by my name Ragnok"

Ragnok smiled "I should have known better that to bang heads with a master strategist like you … Harry"

"People always learn the heard way" Harry said funnily "Also, I want to open a new vault for a certain house-elf"

"Harry, you know that this is against the law"

"The old days are no more; we should have learned from the past that we are all equals; no wizard is better than the other or even a house-elf"

Ragnok straightened his glasses "If you deal with the legalities; I will start the paperwork in this matter; so, any other business"

"Yes, open a new vault and start a trust fund for St. Mungo's hospital; with a base of one million galleons"

"That will be done then; any other things?"

"Only last thing. You see; I cannot come to Gringotts frequently because of my work outside England; I want to open a new vault in USA branch of Gringotts so I can be able to draw some money from there"

"That is not a problem Harry. As a shareholder; I can enable you to access your own vault, or vaults to be correct, anywhere in the world"

"How?" Harry sounded intrigued.

"By the time/space portal" Ragnok answered in excitement "It is a magical portal that can be opened by certain magical creatures, including the goblins. This portal allows its user to go anywhere around the world"

"It sounds like runic magic to me"

"Yes indeed; except that runic magic is performed by humans; so you can say that this is its non-human equivalent. It will take some time to be erected; and if you need to access it anywhere in the world, just go straight to the branch director"

"I just want to access it in Los Angeles" Harry replied.

"Hmm, Los Angeles" Ragnok straightened his glasses again as he took a list from the right drawer and reviewed it "Yes, you just have to refer to my brother, Grimrok; he is the director of Gringotts branch there; it is located in Brimstone alley"

"Very will, and that concludes our business; I will check the Gryffindor Chamber in the evening" Harry said dismissively and was about to go, but Ragnok stopped him "Just one minute, Harry; I forgot to tell you that some of your businesses require your presence in the board meeting. You see; you are not the major shareholder of Gringotts alone; you are the major shareholder in nearly all the companies in wizard world and some major companies in muggle world, including five multi-national companies; and your overseas investments are growing constantly. In other words, you are as rich as any other business tycoon in the world; in fact you are the youngest tycoon in the history of both muggle and wizard worlds"

"Good thing to know if I was interested in business, which I'm not; can't the board committee move on without me"

"I'm afraid not, Harry; as the major shareholder you must present in each and every meeting because your vote has the power of casting out almost everyone in the administration, including the executives"

"The problem is; I care more about the safety of people than a few galleons to be added to my vaults" Harry said in disinterest.

"I know Harry; and by that you are proving to be more and more like your father, both notable aurors, and both are exceedingly rich; but unfortunately I have no other solution for that matter"

Harry frowned and gave this matter a thought for a minute, before it hits him "Ragnok, can I appoint a representative that can replace me in the board committee?"

The old goblin rubbed his chin and thought for a second before answering "Only if the board member has other meeting to tend to, then yes; but who will you appoint for that?"

"You" Harry said simply, and the elder goblin was taken aback once again "Me?"

"Yes, you Ragnok; who else can be as experienced as you when it comes to business?"

"Thank you for the compliment, Harry; but you know that not all your shares are in wizard companies" and he chucked a bit "I can easily imagine the look on the muggles faces when they see a goblin attend their meeting"

"Yes, you are right on that; but who else can be trusted with such thing?"

"May I recommend one Harry; Bill Weasley is the best choice in this, although his main profession is a curse-breaker, but he has proved more than once that he has the gift of management within him"

"And he is more than trustworthy" Harry stated his approval "Okay then; I accept under one condition; he must report to you before any decision to be made" they finished their business and Harry went to the doors only to find Ron waiting for him.

"Hey mate; how is your ever-growing business?" Ron teased him.

"Still growing, as a matter of fact" Harry retorted "Hey, I have a surprise for you; the Weasley family now are officially one of the shareholders of Gringotts"

"Mate, don't tease me" Ron said in disbelief, but when he saw the serious look on Harry's face he couldn't veil his happiness "At last I can give Malfoy what he deserves"

"Careful mate; this is not Hogwarts anymore, it is strictly business" Harry warned him.

"I can't wait to see the look on mum's face; she will be ecstatic" Ron said in excitement "Anyway; we don't have anything to do now, so how about a stroll in the alley?"

"Lead the way" Harry said in agreement.

---------------------------------------

"Granger; I've brought the warrant" Johnson said dryly as he entered the office "Now, hand me he folder" he said impatiently as he waved the piece of paper.

"Now, now; aren't we a bit hasty?" she retorted sarcastically as she scanned the warrant; then she handed him the copy of the folder.

Johnson's eyes gleamed as he scanned the folder, then he looked at both detectives and sneered "After OUR agents go through the folder and establish the required surveillance, I will invite you to the scene to witness the true application of law enforcement"

"I can hardly wait" Pierce stated in jeering boredom. Johnson didn't comment and stepped out of the office.

"At last, a moment of peace" Hermione sighed "Now, care to tell me what have you found"

"Actually, I found nothing" Pierce said casually "No single known organization can establish a full surveillance like this file for less than a month"

"It is really eerie" Hermione said as she pondered through the available options "And what about Potter's file?"

"Now that's a good thing" Pierce said in a tone that attracted her attention "I searched the whole police database for any file on him, and found nothing; so I tried the immigration office database" he looked at her straight in the eyes "I also found nothing"

"What? How did he then enter the United States?" Hermione exclaimed in discomfort "This means he is either an American citizen or an illegal immigrant"

"That's right; I had the same thought, so I checked the ministry of Anterior and also … Found nothing"

"I have a bad feeling about this" Hermione said gravely; then waved with her hand dismissively "No time for that now; when Harry returns from his errand we well confront him. Right now we must check the document for any details about Muerte's whereabouts"

"Wouldn't the feds find out first?" Perce asked.

"I don't think so; they weren't good enough to catch him last time, so we should be ready to mend their upcoming mistakes"

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Harry and Ron reached the Borrow by noon; they took their time strolling along the alley and browsing the shops windows, especially the Quidditch supplies where Ron took his time marveling the new version of the Firebolt. They couldn't enter the Weasley Wizard Wheezes due to the overcrowding; so they decided to call it a day and return to the Borrow.

"Mum, we're home" Ron yelled at the top of his voice.

"Stop barking like a dog Ron, we are here" they turned to the source of the voice and saw Ginny sitting at the dining table drinking some butterbeer; Molly stood up and paced towards them with watery eyes.

"Ronald, Harry dear; it's good to see the two of you in good shape, why are you late?" she said and greeted them with the Weasley famous bone-crushing hug while crying.

"Mum, please; we are not children anymore; we can take care of ourselves" Ron groaned as he freed himself from the hug.

She wiped her eyes and ushered them inside "I suppose that you are hungry, so I prepared a meal for you"

"Ahh, I love you mum; you understand me" Ron exclaimed in sheer joy; he sat down and began to dig in. Harry, on the other hand, was eating rather slowly with absent mind.

"Harry dear, why aren't you eating" Molly's voice brought him back to earth; "Sorry Aunt Molly; I just have many things in my mind"

"Yeah mum; Flint is proving to be such a pain in the arse" Ron stated with a full mouth as he started his fifth helping; and his mother scolded him "You better watch your mouth, Ronald Weasley"

Harry chuckled a bit, then something hit him "Ron, I assume that this is not your second helping"

"No, it is his fifth to be precise" Ginny retorted "He is a true monster when it comes to food; I had to refill the refrigerator three times last week in order to satisfy his ever-growing appetite"

"Ronald Weasley" Harry exclaimed in anger "You better watch your appetite because I don't want chubby aurors at my team"

"I need to maintain my endurance, mate" Ron said defensively.

"At the cost of your agility" Harry retorted with scolding tone.

"Well, I can't keep them all, can I?" Ron said simply and turned his attention back to his plate; not hearing his sister muttering _'Pig'_ under her breath.

After they finished the meal, Ron yawned and announced that he will go to sleep. Molly turned to Harry and asked him "And you dear, you look tired too; you have to get some sleep before the meeting"

"I would love to, Aunt Molly; but unfortunately, I have some other matters to tend to before the meeting; I'll meet you up there in Grimmauld place; Okay?"

"After that polar bear wakes up from hibernation, that is" Ginny said sarcastically earning her a chuckle from Harry.

"You do whatever suites you dear" she said and hugged him fiercely before he is gone.

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"Yes dear; Okay, I'll be there as soon as possible" Pierce ended his phone call and turned to Hermione "That was Lydia asking me to look after Sherry because she will go shopping with her friends, and I see that we don't have anything to do now so I said yes. So, shall we call it a day?"

"Okay, I, too, want to spend some time with my mother and father; they are on vacation after all" she said as both of them exited the precinct and went to their homes. As Hermione reached her apartment and opened the door she heard the laughter coming from the living room; she glanced inside and saw her mother and sitting next to each other laughing while they were leafing through a large book.

"Would you share this happy moment with me?" Hermione said mirthfully.

"Hermione, shouldn't you be at work now?" Emma asked as she closed the book and made room to her daughter to sit down. Hermione sat between her parents as she answered "My partner had to baby-sit his daughter because his wife went shopping; and we didn't have any work to do, so we called it a day"; she then leaned toward the book "Now tell me; what are you reading?"

"We were running over the album I told you about earlier, dear; and we couldn't contain ourselves as we remembered the old days"

"They were truly 'Golden years'; everybody was carefree and life lover" Dan said with a nostalgic sigh "Young people these days are acting very serious; I doubt that they enjoy life as we did before"

"That's not right dad; it is just that life has become a little … fast-paced" Hermione said defensively.

"You are right on that missy, life is now faster than before; who could ever live in satisfaction with its pace?" her father retorted hastily; then waved his hand "Enough of this matter. Where is that young man Hermione?"

"What young man?" she asked cautiously.

"That investigator who came here early this morning; your mother told me everything that happened, and I want to thank him properly for saving you"

"He is not available dad" she answered while glaring at her mother "Actually, he is out of town"

"Too bad; I wanted to show my full appreciation to the young lad" Dan pouted.

"Don't worry dad, he will return; and you can thank him as you like"

"Even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to; he has done a major deed; an I can only think of one gift that suites that deed"

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"You" her father said simply and Emma giggled at the blush that appeared on her daughter's face "DAD, this is not funny"

"I'm not joking" her father said "This young man is what the fathers dream for their daughters; someone who can protect his loved ones"; and her Hermione's blush intensified as she heard the last statement "DAD" she exclaimed in awkwardness; and her parents chuckled even more.

"I never doubted my ability in judging people, Hermione; and I tell you, he is not an ordinary young man, even from the only look I had for him I can say that"

Hermione thought about what her father said for a minute 'It is true, I can feel it too. He is not a normal person, but I can't be sure why; is it the power beneath that calm face of his, or the gift of command that he showed when he asked Pierce for the information? Even that folder adds point to that'

Her rope of thoughts was cut with her mother's exclaim as she opened the album "Now; let us show you our past, dear"

"Yes" her father retorted "Let us show you the days of glory"

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Harry stepped out of the ministry rather frustrated as he didn't find what he sought from the ministry library; 'What's the good of this library if we couldn't find what we want; for once I wish if I had a dark wizard ancestor, at least my family library would contain the answer' he sighed with apparent frustration because he knew that this is not the only reason he don't want to visit the Potter Estate; he didn't want to live alone in such empty and cold place.

"One day, that house will be filled with joy of children and grandchildren; it just has to wait until this matter is over and then maybe I will look for a suitable witch o be my wife" and the image of a certain bushy haired woman came to his mind "Or a muggle" he muttered.

'Why do I feel so attracted to her; I don't even know her very will but I feel like I have known her for years' he sighed as he cleared his mind; and went to catch up with the meeting of the order.

He reached Grimmauld place just before the dusk; when he entered he was greeted by a warm sight.

"Behold, Harry Potter" Fred exclaimed, "The hero of the Wizard World" George completed the sentence as always; and they shot a shower of fireworks out of their wands.

"Hey there mate; I told them you wouldn't like it but they insisted" Ron tried to apologize for his brothers' act.

"Don't worry Ron; I do miss them really to be angry with them" Harry said as he patted on the twins' shoulders "How are you, you two?"

"Frankly" Fred said, "We are mad" George completed, "Furious" Fred ended.

"Why?" Harry asked in surprise; and Fred hit him lightly on the head "How dare you come to Diagon Alley without dropping by?" then George commented "You know that it is unacceptable"

"I'm sorry if I made you mad; but I was dealing with a business matter at Gringotts, and your shop was overcrowded; which reminds me …" Harry said; but was interrupted by a joyful squeal.

"Harry dear, at last you are here; I was growing worried" Molly hugged him tightly; and he saw that she was with her husband, Arthur Weasley, and her elder sons, Bill and Charlie.

"Harry my boy" Arthur said as he patted his shoulder "How are you doing? I head from Ron that Flint is giving you quite a headache"

"I'm fine Uncle Arthur; and yes Flint is proving to be quite a nuisance. I will go through the details during the meeting" then he turned serious "I was just going to say something; you are all needed to be at Gringotts tomorrow"

"And why is that?" Molly asked in curiosity.

"Because you need to sign some paperwork so I can officially announce you as new shareholders in Gringotts" said Harry with a grin; and the twins cried in delight while molly gaped at him.

"B-But how?" she said in disbelief; and Harry's grin widened as he answered her "Ragnok told me that he found quite a share of stocks that belonged to the death eaters; so I told him to liquidate it and sell half of it to the goblins while you left to buy the other half"

"O Harry" she hugged him tightly "You didn't need to do that"

"It is the least thing I could do to the family that embraced me, while the others rejected me; you are the only true family I have; and now I have the chance to be a true son, and help you regain your name in the Wizard World"

"O Harry" she said as she hugged him again even more tightly; and the twin teased her.

"Mum; if you hugged him more tightly" said Fred, "You will kill him instantly" continued George, "Before he'll have an heir" Fred said again "For his ever-growing business empire" George ended.

"Stop it you two; I'm beginning to develop a headache" Ron said while holding his head between his hands; and Harry laughed at the comment before remembering something else.

"Bill, you need to report to Ragnok tomorrow for some other matter …" he was interrupted by Bill's nod "I already did Harry; thank you for your trust"

"What is it now?" Ron said as he grew weary from this long, stand-up conversation.

"Harry just appointed me as his business representative" Bill announced; and Molly shrieked in joy "That is good news dear; and thank you again Harry"

"No problem. By the way, where is Ginny?" he said as he noticed her absence.

"She went to fetch Lavender" Ron said in apparent eagerness; and as soon as he finished his sentence, the door opened and the two females came in.

"Ron" the dark-blonde woman practically jumped at him and hugged him fiercely; and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"It's good to see you Lavender" Harry said after she let go of Ron; "It's good to see you too Harry; I'm very happy that you are both still alive; especially Ron" she greeted back as she eyed the aforementioned red-hair dreamily.

Molly clapped her hands as she stated "Now only two members left; McGonagall and …" she didn't finish her sentence as McGonagall and a black clothed, greasy haired man stepped in.

"Evening everyone, and sorry for being late; we were too engrossed in work and didn't notice the time" McGonagall greeted them.

"Potter; I see that you made quite and entry as usual" the greasy haired man sneered at Harry; but he didn't heed the mockery as he greeted back "Good evening to you too Professor McGonagall … and Professor Snape"

Snape didn't say another word and paced toward the meeting hall. McGonagall ushered them to do the same; and they all entered the hall. The first thing happened was a flank attack which Harry sensed prematurely; he dodged the stunner that was aimed for him and swiftly leapt behind the attacker and twisted his wand arm behind him so he was covered by his wand.

"BANG, you're dead Mad-Eye" Harry said with a smile. And the ex-auror bellowed with laughter.

"That's good Potter; when Tonks here told me how extraordinary your reflexes became, I couldn't wait to test it myself; and by Merlin, she was right" Moody said as he rubbed the soreness in his arm.

"Constant vigilance Moody; you taught me that yourself" Harry said before both men seated.

The whole room went into stunning silence as they witnessed Harry in action; they never seen him in a fight after his mysterious disappearance two years ago. So after he pulled his stunt, they were all stunned save Ron, Tonks, Moody, and Minister Bones.

"Wotcher Harry; I see that you haven't rusted a bit" the pink haired witch greeted him lightly.

"Fine Tonks; how is the Law Enforcement department?"

"Dull as usual" she said indifferently "I'm thinking of giving up the director position and return to the field; but I think it will take time until a suitable candidate is found. So Harry, why don't you take it Harry and save me the trouble?"

"In your dreams, Tonks" Harry said teasingly before turning his attention to the person beside her "Long time no see, Remus?"

Harry's voice pulled Remus out of his astonishment "How are you doing Harry; your newly found reflexes has stunned us"

Harry chuckled at the comment "thank you for your compliment; but sensei would've considered it a failure"

"Who's sensei?" Tonks asked in curiosity; but Harry didn't reveal more "I'll tell you in time". He scanned the table and found that everyone was present except those who have been lost during and after the final battle; Ron, the Weasley twins Fred and George, Bill, Charlie, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Lavender Brown, Padma Patil who joined after her sister's death, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Minister Bones, Draco Malfoy, Professor Flitwick, Professor Snape, and the leader of the Order, Professor McGonagall.

"All right, silence everyone" McGonagall said in a commanding voice "First I want to congratulate each and every one of you for his/her contribution during the final battle; and I want especially to congratulate auror Harry Potter and his death trackers on their successful battle that lead to You-Know-Who's demise"; Applause erupted and the twins cheered loudly.

"He's our legend" Fred shouted; "He's our man" George continued; "He does anything" Fred said; "That nobody can" George ended their usual mutual appraise.

McGonagall cleared her throat; and the silence fell again "Regretfully, there are still dangers lurking beneath; I already sent Hagrid and Madam Maxime to the giants land in order to suppress their danger diplomatically"; Harry now noticed the absence of his Half-giant friend and the headmistress of Beauxbatons; and McGonagall continued "Now, let's report the aftermath; starting with you, Severus"

The Potions Master stood up and spoke in is usual grim tone "The senior death eaters are in hiding due to the fear that Flint might find them and dispose of them; they are no longer a threat than a scattered flock of sheep without their shepherd"

"I agree with Professor Snape" Malfoy stated "and with the list I found in my father's possessions Gringotts can now track any funding source to the death eaters and liquidate it"

"That's a good news to hear; and how about the ministry itself" she looked at Minister Bones, who stood up "We are conducting a background search for every employee in the ministry so we can find if there was still any death eater sympathizer or anyone who is a death eater him/herself; we already found three in Wizengamot itself and presented them to trial"

"The aurors are patrolling every part of the British Isle and particularly the parts were we suspect of any dark arts practice to take place; like Noctorn Alley for instance; but we still found nothing" Tonks stated and sat down again.

"Okay, how about the situation in the werewolves society" McGonagall glanced at Lupin, who stood up and cleared his throat "After Fenrir Greyback's death, the werewolves appeared to be lost and scattered; they are not planning on attacking any humans in the mean time; and their threat is now down to minimum, they will only attack the forest dwellers"

"Good to hear that; now for the final report; the overseas situation" she looked at Harry, who stood up and began to speak calmly.

"I regrettably disagree with Malfoy and Professor Snape; the death eaters are still a threat overseas; and Flint is proving to be more than a mere nuisance. He is proving to be more a better tactician than his former master; and he has killed a sum of people who appeared to be death eater sympathizers or certain muggles"

"And what would he benefit from killing muggles?" Snape asked grimly.

"It appears that those muggles are criminals under the influence of a Columbian drug lord whom Flint, oddly enough, has allied himself with" Harry answered as he pulled out a document out of his pocket and shoved it towards McGonagall "Pueblo Martinez; also known as 'Muerte' which means 'Death' in Spanish; he is the kingpin of the Columbian cartel; an organized band of criminals whose main goal is to benefit from the drug business inside the United States of America; this business is quite profitable" then he looked at Malfoy "Which means that the death eaters has found a new source of funding"

Pregnant silence fell upon the group; before McGonagall break it "That is … Troubling news; so what are you going to do about it"

Harry answered calmly "We are currently monitoring their movements with the aid of the muggle police force there. But that is not the main problem; the death eaters has stolen a muggle device that is used to produce an electromagnetic force; I still don't know how will they benefit from that, but we are researching that; also he seemed to have stumbled upon an ancient unknown curse that I sent its parameters to Professor Malfoy here" he pointed at Malfoy "But I just learned its name; Explodia, the exploding curse"

Malfoy body tensed "Explodia! I heard about that curse, but I haven't thought that anybody could use it now because all the details about it has been lost"

"Well, it appears that Flint has found it; I tried to look for it in the restricted section in the ministry libraries both here and at the States; both with no avail; and my family's library contains no dark arts books; so our last hope will be the Black Library"

"Very will; and now for the most important matter" McGonagall said in a tone that drew the lot's attention "Considering the resent events; and due to my injuries I can no longer lead the Order; so we need to pick up a new leader"

"But, Minerva; there are now one here as experienced as you" Molly questioned in disapproval.

"You are wrong Molly; and this letter proves that" she flashed an envelope so everybody can see it; "It is a letter from Dumbledore I found it in a hidden drawer in the desk; it says that Dumbledore instates Harry as the new leader of the Order if he finished off V-Voldemort" she said the last name in a shaky voice "I have to get used to that bloody name. Anyway, he also trusted you with his precious Put-Outer and Fawkes the Phoenix" she pushed the device towards him "It's a pity that Fawkes has gone astray"

Harry accepted the Put-Outer graciously "Thank you Professor; as for Fawkes, I already found him … Fawkes" a burst of flame suddenly blazed in the middle of the table; and the magnificent bird appeared with a sheathed sword between its talons "Ah, thank you for bringing that" he stroked the bird's feathers in appreciation while everybody was in dumbfounded.

"Harry I-I'm astounded" Lupin said almost in a whisper; "How did you …"

"Find Him?" Harry interrupted "Well, that's a long story; to make it short I will say that I found him being taken care of by one of Professor Dumbledore old friends in Japan; he even remade Gryffindor's sword into this" and he unsheathed the sword and everybody was awestruck.

He handed the sword carefully to McGonagall; who examined it with amazement "It's obviously clear why Dumbledore wants you to lead the Order"

"I'm sorry Professor but I have to decline the position; I have too much at hand to be busied with another matter; I barely control my group of aurors; I couldn't manage to groups at once"

"Nonsense Harry" Ron exclaimed "I personally know that you the aurors very well; and being our secret keeper you are the best candidate to be our leader"

McGonagall stood up "To ultimately settle this matter we will cast a vote; anyone agrees with me about Harry being the new leader, please raise your wand" and everyone raised their wands; much to Harry's surprise; even Snape did so.

"You have proved your worth more than once, Potter, so don't make anymore fuss about it" Snape said with his usual cold tone.

"Now" McGonagall said as she stood up "Please assume your place Mr. Potter"; Harry sighed and did as he was told.

"Thank you everyone for your trust although I still think this is a matter of debate; but as Professor Snape said, I don't want to make a 'fuss' about it" Harry said casually "Now for our objectives; the main objective will be to ensure the safety of the people, Magical or not; the secondary objective is to stop whatever Flint is concocting. I will leave the safety of the subjects of the crown; me and the team of aurors will track down Flint and stop him. I also urge you to look for more people willing to give aid in our cause; I already found three, but I still want to examine them thoroughly" he looked at Ron with a significant look "And that concludes our business today; next meeting will be next month at the same day unless it is adjourned"

The Order members departed one by one; and Harry stopped Malfoy at the last minute "Malfoy, could I have a minute"

"Yes; Potter" he looked with interest "I need to tell you something; I found Pansy" he felt Malfoy's body tense as he said the name "I hope she was dead when you found her"; Harry felt the uneasiness hovering over the conversation "Actually, she is a live; and she was the one who told me about the curse … willingly"

Malfoy looked puzzled, and Harry continued "I accidentally tripped a sad memory in her mind; the memory of her daughter; your daughter" he said as he felt more uneasiness coming from Malfoy.

"I still don't understand why did she join them? They killed our daughter and she helps them to kill more innocents" Draco said with frustration; and Harry patted him on the shoulder "She told me that she joined them because she wanted to kill Flint by herself; and to punish herself"

Malfoy was shocked by the last revelation "But why?"; Harry answered calmly "Because she blame herself for not protecting her daughter"

Malfoy was thinking intensely; and Harry patted him again "I want you to be present at her trial tomorrow; she will need every emotional support she can have; she already has mine because I truly think she is innocent, but what I think she needs is her husband's"

Malfoy understood every word Harry has said; and decided to give it a thorough thought later "I will think about it, but right now I'm pretty occupied; and I assume that this is not the only reason you want to talk to me"

Harry smiled at the initiative "You are right; if you don't mind I want you to look for the exploding curse for me; I have other matters to tend to"

"No Problem, I was thinking of aiding you in the search anyway" Malfoy nodded; and Harry thanked him before he walked towards to the Weasleys with Fawkes on his shoulder.

"Harry, you were brilliant in there mate" Fred exclaimed, and his brother continued as usual "The phoenix looks brilliant too"

"Not to mention the sword of yours; brutal"

"You should've seen him use it; two death eaters were lying in a pool of their blood" Ron said in excitement; and the twins exclaimed in unison "Wicked"

Harry himself felt uncomfortable at the comment, so he retorted "As much as I like to finish the fight quickly, I still prefer to end it with as less gory as possible; so I only use the lethal methods as a last resort"

"Modest" Fred said nodding; "And powerful" George retorted; "Dumbledore's man through and through"

"Which I'm proud of" Harry said firmly "Anyway; I came now to remind you of your Gringotts tomorrow meeting; I hate to say another family beats you to it"

"Don't worry Harry; I will make sure that they will be present by the morning" Bill assured him; and he smiled "Okay; I'll trust with it then; now I beg your pardon, I have other matters to tend to" he greeted them before turning to the phoenix.

"Fawkes, I want you to look after Hermione for me; just don't let her catch a glimpse of you"; the phoenix with his usual song before disappearing in the flames.

"Who is Hermione, mate?" on of the twins asked; before Harry could answer Ron jumped in "I will tell you about her; I think Harry said he has some urgent business"

Harry looked at his best mate in appreciation before stepping out of the house.

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"Hola"

"It's me" the caller said; then waited for the other side to respond.

"Talk" a firm voice came.

"It's Granger; she somehow stumbled upon a surveillance report of your hidouts"

"What hideouts?"

"Muerte's men hideouts, all of them; and it was that Potter who gave it to her"

"Really! He is proving to be so witty; a worthy adversary indeed" the firm voice said calmly; which surprised the caller.

"Aren't you going to do something? The FBI are going to attack as soon as their surveillance reports come" the caller asked in irritation.

"Well of course, and they will really be surprised with what they will find"

"And what is it?"

"You will find soon enough" and the firm voice hanged up.

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"Harry, good timing, we just found the key to the chamber and I was about to go and check the progress of the new portal; let me drop you at the chamber myself" Ragnok said merrily "I need to brush up my driving skill"

"Whatever you say Ragnok" Harry retorted with the same merry as they entered the wagon tunnel.

It took them half an hour to reach the chamber; and Harry was awestruck by the craft and skill that the door was made by. The body of the door was made of gold, and was inlaid by red rubies that were placed in a way that made a resemblance of a griffin; and two statues of hippogriffs were at each side of the door.

"Here you are Harry" Ragnok handed him a golden key with a ruby chiseled to resemble a Griffin "I will come back after an hour to see if you want to return or not"

"Thank you" Harry said before he walked toward the door he placed the key in the hole and it turn magically on its own and the door slowly opened revealing a long corridor. He carefully stepped in and the torches on both sides of the corridors lit up; he treaded carefully with his wand at the ready until he reached the end of the corridor and found another door which sprang open as soon as he got near it. He stepped in what appeared to be a meeting hall; it was far bigger than Hogwarts main hall, and it was lit by a giant lumos spell or appeared to be so.

"Welcome, Harry Potter" Harry jumped at the voice and pointed his wand at its source but was dumbfounded when he saw it "Remarkable reflexes; no wonder Voldemort marked you as his equal; it was as if he predicted that one day you will outdo him"

"Godric Gryffindor" Harry said in awe.

"Your humble ancestor" the ghost bowed slightly while smiling "Here in Gryffindor Chamber, you can meet the ghosts of the past from the beginning of the line of Gryffindor; and others. So, look who has come to see you"

"Harry my dear" a voice whispered calmly and Harry's jaw dropped.

"M-Mum; Dad" his eyes watered as his parents "How are you faring son?" his father said joyfully.

"I'm fine, in fact; I wish that you have seen what I did until now" he said hastily not veiling his happiness.

"We know dear" his mother lily interrupted "And we very proud of you" he can see her ghostly eyes glistening with tears.

"You have become powerful beyond words; the people consider you a legend; and their savior"

"I know" Harry said "But I already grew tired of that responsibility"

"It is too soon to say that Harry; your destiny is yet to be fulfilled" Lily said.

"Do you know about it too?"

"Of course we know; but we are not the better ones who can tell you about it" James said cryptically.

"Then who is …" Harry asked but he stopped middle way and his eyes widened as he saw the figure that appeared behind his father.

"Hello Harry" the ghost greeted calmly; but Harry was too surprised to greet back. All he could say was "You?"

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_**A/N:**_ Finally, that was by far the longest chapter I've ever written; but I was worth it, and I enjoyed every bit of it. As for the cliffhanger I want to see reviews about who is the person or, to be precise, 'Ghost' that Harry saw; and the first one to review the answer will be rewarded with a google mail account; also there is another account for the one who can reveal the rat who calls Flint; just remember; answering both mysteries won't give you two accounts, just one.

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.


	10. First Blood

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters that belong to J.K. Rowling; other unknown characters plus the plot are within my ownership.

**_A/N:_** This chapter contains a major turning point, read it carefully or you might get confused with the next chapters; and not to announce the winner of the first Gmail account who discovered the ghost (It was easy anyway ;P). Everyone, a round of applause for **_'Dark wolf of Teros'_**; Huzzah. And for the rat, he/she will be exposed as the plot moves forward; so the game is still on; thanks for all who reviewed my story; I will never forget your kindness (Teary Eyes)

Enough of the rubbish and let's get it on ...

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First Blood

"You?" Harry said hoarsely "Professor Dumbledore …"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he smiled at his favorite student "How are you doing Harry?"

Harry was shocked beyond words as he stared at the ghost of his mentor and former headmaster "But … How can you be here; are you a descendant of Gryffindor?"

"I think you misunderstood the whole thing Harry" Gryffindor intervened "It is true that this place is called 'Gryffindor Chamber', but it is not limited by the blood line. Any person who is a Gryffindor at heart is allowed to dwell in here; as a ghost of course; which means …" he ended his explanation with a pointing finger; Harry looked at the location he pointed at, and his heart was filled with joy.

"Hi Harry"

"Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, and … Luna! Aren't you a Ravenclaw?" Harry exclaimed. And Gryffindor chuckled "Rash as I've heard of you, Harry Potter. I've just told you that people who prove to be Gryffindors at heart are allowed to dwell in the chamber; and Miss Lovegood proved that easily by aiding your cause non-hesitantly"

"How are you Harry?" Luna asked him with a calm smile.

"I'm fine" Harry said sadly "In fact; I miss you all; I can't help but to blame myself for not being able to save you"

"Do not blame yourself Harry; it was Flint who must take the blame, not you" Seamus said with his usual joyful tone.

"I swear to you, I will bring that bastard down" Harry clenched his fist tightly as he spoke.

"We know Harry; we all know that you are up to the task" Parvati said calmly; and they all stood silent for a minute before Godric cough soundly.

"Now then" the owner of the camber said "I believe that you have some questions that need to be answered"

"Yes" Harry said hastily "I have some trouble finding Flint; he stole a muggle device for an unknown purpose"

"Alas Harry; we are as powerless as the mortals when it comes to reading the future; you have to find the answer yourself" Dumbledore said apologetically.

Harry pouted in disappointment; but he remembered something else "Professor; have you heard of a curse called 'Explodia'?"

"A good finding indeed Harry; unfortunately, I do not know very much about the ancient curses; but a certain Asian swords Master might have the answer" Dumbledore said the last words with his trademark twinkle. Harry looked confused at his; then the answer hit him "Tatsuya"

"Indeed" Dumbledore nodded in approval.

"So, I have to visit the village again; I needed to say hello after all; I haven't stopped by since I completed my training"

"Your training is far from completion; and your destiny in yet to be fulfilled; don't forget your ultimate objective" Gryffindor said in reminiscing tone.

"Ah, that soul mate matter; right" Harry said dully "As much as I like to do that, I still don't have any clue about it"

"The answer is before your eyes Harry; don't look too far" Dumbledore said with a twinkle; and an image of a certain bushy haired young woman kept nudging the back of his mind, he shook his head hard to force the image out and succeeded barely gaining a slight dizziness along the way. He then tried to shift the course of the conversation "Professor; I always wondered; why have you sacrificed yourself for me?"

Dumbledore smiled calmly as he answered "Harry my dear; you have to understand that my role has come to an end; and it is your time to assume the leadership of our people, you have guide them through the upcoming darkness"

"But I don't even know what will come" Harry exclaimed in confusion. And Dumbledore never changed from his clam grim "You will know Harry; soon you will know; and you will succeed"

"I had enough of the responsibility" Harry cried out of frustration. And he felt the warmth overcome him as his mother hovered her hand over him "It is your destiny Harry; and always remember; you are not alone; we are always watching you"

"Thank you mother" he wanted to hug her; but sadly he remembered that she was a specter. He kept conversing with his friends and family until the time for Ragnok's return; he said his goodbyes and stepped out of the chamber only to find Ragnok waiting for him outside.

"Harry" the elder goblin beamed at him "I hope that I'm not late"

"Not at all; in fact, you are as punctual as you've always been" Harry answered with much calmness, and the goblin beamed even more then he took his seat and ushered Harry to do so.

"The portal is almost finished; they only need to test it now" Ragnok said as he launched the underground wagon "And you; have you found anything worth your while; precious things may be"

Harry answered absent-mindedly without looking at him "Many"

---------------------------------

Hermione the book on the bed in frustration before throwing it on the table "That's absurd, I can read the whole collection but sleep won't come; I shouldn't have taken that nap" but in her mind it was another matter; and she groaned at the revelation.

"Face it Hermione; you can't rest with a case left unfinished" she muttered, 'And persons un-researched'

She made up her mind so quickly, so she dresses quickly for an outing, and quietly stepped out of her room not forgetting to shoot a glance left and right to make sure the coast is clear, before tip-toeing toward the main door.

"Hermione!" the voice made her jump upward at least a meter; she turned slowly and saw her mother holding a glass of water while looking at her in surprise "What are you doing!"

"Out for a stroll" Hermione answered looking anywhere but her mother's face.

"In this late hour!" Emma said almost in scolding tone.

"I had a nap early this afternoon, so I couldn't sleep"

"You can find a hundred ways to get sleep at home rather than 'strolling' outside at this dangerous hour"

Hermione groaned loudly "Mum; I am a police detective; I have been into many dangers; what would an innocent stroll do to me"

"Who knows Hermione; who knows" Emma said calmly but firmly "Now, I know that this is not the true purpose of your midnight stroll"

"How can you be sure?" Hermione said stubbornly, but cowered when she saw an equal resolve in her mother's eyes "I know when you are bluffing Hermione; if your mother didn't know you well then who will; you never looked me in the eyes when you were talking"

Hermione sighed in surrender "Alright; I give up. I was going to the police station to research more on the case"

Emma looked victoriously at her daughter "I knew it; typical Hermione can't relax with work at hand" Hermione shot her an angered look; then Emma said seriously "So, what is the case?"

"Mum" Hermione said in irritated surprise "It is police business"

"That doesn't mean I can't help; I love to solve 'whodunit' mysteries"

Hermione surrendered for a second time "Okay; the FBI took command of the whole precinct and are acting to solve my previous case which they 'took over' callously; so I was left with the only thing at hand, researching about Harry Potter"

Emma looked alerted "Harry Potter as in, Harry Potter who saved you" she asked cautiously and Hermione nodded in agreement "And why do you want to research about him?"

"Because" Hermione said stressing her words "He seems to know about us much more than we know about him"

"And you allied yourself with him" Her mother asked again with more tension "While knowing absolutely NOTHING about him"

"Yes" Hermione said feeling her mother's tension creeping under her skin.

"Are you mad? How can you trust someone you know nothing about?"

"I don't know; he came at a critical time and presented crucial information that might prove useful" Hermione answered defensively as she backed off.

"That is so un-Granger of you Hermione; my experience with life taught me to be wary of people who present me anything for free; it might be a snare to catch me and gain more from me"

"I AM researching him now as I said, but without good results. Do you believe that we found no record about him; no passport, no immigration application, not even a flight ticket"

"See, how can you work with a mysterious person, even if has saved you" her mother stated, then what Hermione said it her "Wait, you said that you found no flight ticket of him?" Hermione nodded "Then how …"

"He entered the country? I asked myself that and got one answer … Illegal immigration"

"I don't believe it, then why would he associate himself with the police; that would expose him for sure"

"I honestly don't know; but I found something interesting" Hermione said attracting her mother's attention "I found that he has shares in some companies here; but the details are unavailable"

"Have you checked with the one of the companies; they might give you some answers" Emma said calmly, and Hermione looked at her dumbfounded "Mum, you always amaze me with your straightforwardness"

"Straight way is the shortest way" Emma said chuckling "I can't believe that you forgot to do that"

"Well, my mind was a bit busy in the last few days; but now I'm all free to further investigate this case"

"Don't let me be in your way then; just be careful Hermione" Hermione nodded and walked out of the door.

---------------------------------------

Ron groaned as a constant noise prevented him from sleeping and yelled angrily as he sat up "Who the bloody … Harry!" he exclaimed in surprise "What are you doing in this late hour" and he noticed that Harry was packing up "What happened"

"Ron listen; I need you to inform Malfoy to hand you any newfound information regarding the curse; I have to go somewhere before heading back to the states; any intelligence operations will be postponed until my return, just go ahead of me and I will catch up with you after I finish my urgent business; Okay?"

Ron was dumbfounded by Harry's firm and sudden revelation "Harry, I … Why are you leaving all of the sudden?"

"Because I think I can find an answer for the unknown curse at a certain place?"

"Where?" Ron asked eagerly as he jumped up; but was hit by a firm look from Harry "Not here mate; walls have ears; I will tell you when we meet again at the HQ"

Harry picked up his canvas backpack; and apparated directly from Ron's room to Diagon Alley; from where he apparated internationally bearing one image in his mind.

--------------------------------------------

"Detective Granger" the night office greeted Hermione as she walked in through the main doors "I'm totally surprised"

"Hello Paul; I know that you don't have much visitors in this late hour; but bear me for an hour will ya" Hermione greeted back joyfully.

"Actually I am surprised because I just met the second visitor for the night" Paul explained as Hermione looked in surprise "Really! Who's the first then?"

"Detective McLaden; he preceded you by full ten minutes" Hermione was in utter surprise right now; but then she smiled "Good; two heads are better than one. Well, I'll leave you to your patrol then"; she nodded to him and when straight to the third floor. She walked through the empty desks towards the detectives' office and opened the door.

"Pierce" she exclaimed joyfully causing the young detective to jump in surprise; "Hermione; what are you doing here?"

"The same is said to you" she retorted while placing her hands on her hip "You go first"

He too a second to regain his composure before answering "As I told you yesterday" he looked at his watch "Yes, it is now yesterday; 1:10 is considered tomorrow even if you didn't …"

"PIERCE" Hermione cut him angrily; and he backed off immediately "Alright girl; sheesh, you are no sport. Anyway, as I told you I went to baby-sit Sherry because Lydia went shopping; when Sherry's nap time was up I lolled her to sleep, but it was me who ended in a slumber"

Hermione giggled at him and he rolled his eyes "Yeah; laugh now, the scary part is not up yet"

"Why? What happened then?" Hermione urged him to continue; and he put a leg on the other "After slumbering for a while, a high-pitched scream woke me up and I ran to the source of the scream only to find Lydia holding on of my guns from the gun collection in the showcase"

"Why?" Hermione urged him more; and he shrugged his shoulders "She told me that she found the gun in the hands of Sherry"; Hermione clapped her hand on her mouth "My God"

"Don't worry; I always check my gun collection to make sure that no gun was left loaded; but what annoys me is that all the guns in the showcase are bolted firmly to the wall; so there is no way in hell that one of the guns would fall off"

"Maybe; no one is perfect" Hermione said as she took her turn to shrug her shoulders "Anyway; what has Lydia done then?"

"She Lectured me on how I should keep my guns will secured or next time we won't be so lucky; I remained alert since then and couldn't get back to sleep even when the clock sounded midnight; so I decided to come here and resume the search of the old cases"

"Not the old cases, Pierce; we have more important business; Harry Potter" Hermione said firmly and Pierce groaned "Hermione, I thought were over it; we found nothing about him"

"My mother 'enlightened' me about a certain source of information we have neglected" she said coolly

"And what is it?" Pierce asked leaning to the front; and Hermione answered in excitement "The companies he have shares within"

"Hermione; that's a good lead and might get us loads of fundamental information; but …" Pierce had a despondent look on his face "You still need a warrant to get what you want, and guess who you need to ask"

Hermione frowned and said nothing although she knew who does he mean; she waved her hand and turned toward her desk "I will ask him tomorrow; in the mean time we have to review the list of the companies and choose the most convenient one; so, where is it?"

She didn't hear him answer "Pierce" she demanded again, but stopped as she so him looking intently at his screen "What is it?"

"Someone is trying to hack into the police department system" he answered "In fact; he is now IN the system"

"What?" Hermione exclaimed and paced toward Pierce desk "Who is he?"

"I don't know; but he has balls, no body would hack into a system full of monitors unless he has the guts to do it, and a pressing issue" Pierce answered as his magical hands began to work on the keyboard "Let's see what he wants"

He opened the log file and began to read it "Weird; he went straight to the archive. And look what he is taking, a copy of the old cases we collected"

"Can you pinpoint the bastard?"

"Let's give it a try" he said as he opened a certain program "Well, well; we got a bouncer; true professional"

"What does it mean?" Hermione asked in confusion; and pierce didn't answer "Damn; he logged off; and he didn't forget to delete his logs; what a smart mother-"

"PIERCE! Please don't continue; and tell me what the bloody hell has just happened" Hermione yelled at him with impatience; he turned off his screen and turned his attention to her "Simply we got hacked by a professional hacker; not to mention he was a bouncer too; he sliced in; got his purpose, and logged off not forgetting to delete his logs"

Hermione felt dizzy at the explanation "Pierce, if you please; can you explain it again without the fancy computer terminology?"; the ex-hacker sighed patiently before speaking again "Look Hermione; the new hackers usually access a distant computer using many programs that help in covering their tracks; but the sheer number of programs needed may also slow the process of hacking"

"Unlike the culprit here" Hermione retorted; and Pierce nodded in approval "Exactly; the professional hackers; like this culprit; access the designated target computer without the aid of many programs; instead he access many public servers as he could before attacking the main target" he pointed a finger in conclusion "And that is called bouncing"

Hermione understood every word he has said, but many questions have formed instead "Wouldn't the lack of security put him in risk of discovery?"

"Good question" Pierce nodded "The answer is yes; he can be discovered easily; but what distinguishes newbies from professionals is the speed of execution. Freshmen use security programs to make up for their slow entry; professionals, on the other hand, have the speed and guts to hack with swiftness and without being encumbered with needless softwares; in and out in a flick, and no one will know what hit 'em"

"Wicked" Hermione whispered "But that means we will never catch that wanker"

"On the contrary; you see, when I was a hacker I used to be an elite bouncer; and with the constant use of this hacking method I revealed a major flaw. You can hack swiftly, yes; but your computer is still unprotected and can be hit with certain viruses; like the Trojan Horses"

"I heard about these viruses; nasty ones indeed" Hermione remarked.

"Well; mine is the nastiest one you'll ever encounter; I developed it after exposing the flaw but still hadn't have the time to test it yet; maybe next time when this bouncer hit again"

"Alright; now let's go down to business shall we" Hermione stated while picking up the list of companies.

----------------------------------------

"Okinawa" Harry muttered "Long time no see" he waded through the never-ending waves of muggles; and thanked God for being accustomed to muggle clothing; walking around here while wearing wizard robes would definitely attract attention. He reached Matsurumi village by dawn. He walked along the trail which leads to Tatsuya's dwelling.

"Sensei" Harry called from out of the house, but received no answer. He slowly unsheathed his sword and stepped in carefully.

"Sensei" he called almost in a whisper; suddenly he felt a tingle in the back of his head, he lifted his sword seconds before another one came out of the shadows; and the two swords clashed.

"Very good Harry-kun; very good indeed" Tatsuya said in a content voice as he came out of the shadows "But you are still a little bit slow"

"Sensei" Harry greeted his master with a half bow "I came here on an urgent business; it is about …"

"A curse you encountered; I know" the old seer interrupted him with a smile "Alas, I don't know much about it"

Harry frowned at the knowledge, and his sensei grin widened "That doesn't mean your venture to here is in vain; you still have one resource left"

"What is it sir?" Harry blurted; and Tatsuya looked at him with a hint of reprimand "The Sacred Library of course; luckily enough, my family collected even the darkest book in the dark arts; so maybe you can find your curse here" he said the last statement as he walked toward the secret passageway

They ventured through the ancient catacombs where only the vermin live now; Harry shivered as he eyed the old scattered bones and skulls "No matter how many times I venture through this place; it still causes me to quiver with fear"

"It is the unknown you fear Harry; not the ashes and dust; these bones reminds you of the afterlife; a stage we all will pass sooner or later" Tatsuya said as they reached the rusted gates of the library and stopped in front of one of two dragon statues "Take your position, Harry-kun"; Harry did as he was ordered and went over to the opposite side of the door in front of one of the dragons; they both placed their hands on their respective dragon statues and pushed down firmly; the dragons moved down with fluency; and the gates rumbled as they opened slowly.

"When I passed away; you will be the only one who knows about the library; however, you will not be able to open the gates by yourself only; you have to look for a trustworthy person whom you can confide this treasure to, only those whom you chose will be able to access the library. It is like the fidelius charm but stronger and somewhat different in concept"

"Very well, sensei; I will keep that in mind" Harry bowed with respect; and Tatsuya smiled in fatherly manner "Now; why don't we begin our research on your curse?"

---------------------------------------

"Blue team standing by"

"Red team standing by"

Johnson received the call in the police surveillance van not far away from the action site. He turned on the mic after he heard the confirmation "This is gold leader; keep on hold, element"

"Roger" both teams replied.

He then pushed the mic button again "Eagle team; can you confirm visual?"

"Negative; no visual on suspect" the indicated team responded. And then he turned to our protagonist detectives and said in a cocky voice "Here, ladies and gentlemen, we will make history"

"Make sure you don't become one yourself" Pierce retorted with his usual irony, and Johnson snapped with fury "I'll show you the true application of tactics, joker"; and Pierce retorted with a short laugh "I never knew you were a tactician, Montgomery"; Johnson snorted but never replied.

The only one who was not participating in the quarrel was Hermione; her eyes was on the monitors showing the hideout via cameras pre-placed by the FBI surveillance team; there was no sign of movement inside or outside the hideout which made her more doubtful about Harry's intelligence; 'Is it true that you are not trustworthy, Harry?' she thought to herself as she recalled her conversation with her mother 'Have I been too trusty?' she was pulled out of her thoughts by the voice a one of the team leaders.

"This is Eagle team; we have visual; appears to be a black-hooded suspect walking slowly"; she felt a throb hitting her heart as she heard the description 'It's them'

"Roger; Gold team, storm the designated entry" Johnson exclaimed through the walky-talky. And tugged his sleeve hard "Pull the men out, now"

He shoved her hand roughly "Stop tugging my suit; and don't forget that this case is no longer of your concern; I give orders now you"

She shook her head violently before replying "You don't understand, these are not Muerte's men; the are the death eaters"

"What 'death eaters'? Is it another crap that Potter told you?"

"Listen to her tough guy; those are the ones we encountered just before you came with your rangers; with my humble experience, I say that no one can stand against them; so your chance against them is slim to none" Pierce remarked in a mix of seriousness and scoff. Johnson couldn't stand anymore of this and exploded angrily "This is my case! If you didn't like it then bang your head on the wall!"

As soon as he finished his sentence, a horrifying scream came out of the speaker followed by the sound of gunfire and other screams, before everything went off. Johnson looked worried as he pushed the speak button "Gold team report in …" but no answer came "Gold team confirm your status …" still no answer.

"Great; now you've lost us some good men; what a great tactician" Pierce remarked in a mix of scold and sarcasm before shooting out of the van with his gun un-holstered; and Hermione followed him without a word spoken; but her mind was twirling with thoughts.

"Why do you always mix sarcasm with seriousness even in the gravest situations, Pierce?" Hermione said without looking at him as they walked toward the hideout.

"Believe me when I say, I did that for Johnson's sake; if I didn't, I might be punching the lights out of him right now for wasting our men for nothing"

"He's a true idiot; I told him to pull them back; those death eaters are not some common thugs; and our first encounter with them proves it" Hermione stated

"It's a second encounter now; and we know what we will face, and ready for it"

When they reached the hideout; they stormed the place without looking back only to see a black hooded figure disappearing with a crack. They stood looking eye-widened at the void space the black hooded figure used to occupy.

"D-Did you see what I just saw?" Hermione finally spoke in a shaky tone.

"If you hadn't said anything I would've thought I was dreaming" Pierce retorted in similar shock "Has that guy just disappeared?"

She stepped forward carefully and stretched her arm toward the void space as if trying to catch anything "Impossible, no body disappears just like that" she exclaimed breathlessly; then glanced into the next room and her eyes widened "Pierce, come quick"

She paced inside the room and Pierce followed her "Good Lord …" he said in a hoarse voice as he saw the massacre inside. All the attack force team members where dead; the murder was either by decapitation or body explosion like the victims they saw.

"So, there were no thugs at all" Pierce said as he examined the body of the nearest cop; and Hermione shook her head "On the contrary, look there"; she pointed at the far end of the room, and he saw a dozen of bodies laying on the floor in a shape similar to that of the attack force.

"I dare to presume that they are our main objective" Hermione said calmly as she stepped toward the bodies followed by the flabbergasted Pierce. She turned the first body she reached only to be finding a mutilated face wearing a fierce image of pain and suffering; she backed off quickly almost losing her balance.

"Disgusting" Pierce remarked with disgust expressions "Who would be that sick; mutilating the bodies; that is inhumane"

"And I thought Muerte was the cruelest; but those death eaters won the price" Hermione as she took deep breaths to prevent herself from throwing up; and Pierce looked at her with astonishment "You think they are the ones who killed those thugs? Aren't they allies? Why did they do such thing?"

"To lure us in" Hermione said absentmindedly; and Pierce looked at her with confusion "This is not the right time or place to reveal any theories, when we return to the precinct I will tell you everything; I can summarize the whole theory in two words" she looked at him firmly before resuming "Harry Potter"

-------------------------------

"I told you Malfoy" Ron said with total lack of patience "Harry instructed me to pick up any information regarding the exploding curse, and you are not helping with it"

"And I told you not yet" Malfoy said in with usual coldness "I will not hand out incomplete information; Potter would've understood, but you seem to be too thick to do so"

Ron's head teamed with fury "Too thick; you …" he pointed an angry finger before exhaling loudly and controlling his anger "Very well; I will wait, but it has better be ready by the end of the day"

Malfoy shook his head in disbelief "I know that you are thick; but that is beyond limit. Haven't you learned anything about spell research; it will take some time to complete the spell sequence and incantation; as for this curse, it will take a lot because we don't have due to the lack of vital information"

Ron clenched his fist and it took a lot of self-control from him to prevent himself from punching Malfoy's face hard "I understand" he said dryly "Still, I will wait for the results; as Harry told me"

"Whatever" Malfoy said then headed toward the laboratory.

-------------------------------------

Hermione walked out of Maronski's office totally stunned; her request for a warrant regarding questioning Harry's companies was met with an unusual acceptance. She entered her office quietly and Pierce asked her in curiosity "What's up Herms?"

"Something unusual has just happened" she said absentmindedly; and Pierce replied with his usual humor "What? Johnson proposed to you?"

"That is not funny, Pierce" Hermione retorted in disgust as the image crept into her mind; and Pierce bellowed with laughter "I know; but if I said that about a certain PI you won't be happy either; because you will be blushing"

"Hey" Hermione exclaimed as the blush crept to her cheeks; and the image of her and Harry together made her even blush harder.

"Anyway" she said while trying to fight the blush "The unusual thing is this" she handed his the warrant "An open warrant for searching anywhere for any information regarding Harry Potter"

"Hermione, I'm astonished" Pierce said "How did you get it that easily; I didn't hear the voice of Maronski reaching the office as usual"

"That's what I called the unusual; he was so helping this time; I think this is because we lost so many men during the assault; I saw him argue with Johnson about that before handing me the warrant in front of him; maybe he wanted to infuriate him as a pay back"

She shrugged before replying "Maybe; but we got what we wanted whatever the case was; and now I can verify my theory"

"By the way; you haven't told me about your theory yet; you said it would involve Harry Potter" Pierce stated; and she sat calmly on her seat "Okay; but listen carefully because I will not repeat it again as we don't have much time and we have to finish our investigation before his return"

Pierce paid full attention as she began to review the theory "Since the beginning of this case I noticed that there was no crime that involves both party members; each party execute its own crime with no of the other; Muerte's men have their own acts including my assassination attempt; but the major sum was by those cult, the death eaters; they killed; robbed; and terrified the people in several places; and with weapons we never heard of; I processed all that and came with one answer"

"And what is it?" Pierce was asked in interest

"Power struggle" she answered casually "These is a hint of power struggle amid the crime lords; the old and new ones; and when I say crime lords I mean Muerte and that newcomer Flint. Flint seems to be more cruel and savage than Muerte which might help him make a name in the LA underworld, and his exploits prove that; Muerte, on the other hand, fears that the newcomer might dare to challenge him on the leadership of the cartel even if he was not Columbian; so he tries to prove his eligibility for the Cartel throne by attempting to assassinate me; the police detective who brought him to custody a year before"

"But, aren't they allies?" Pierce asked again in confusion; and she answered "Allies, yes; friends, no; their alliance is just a cover to the cold war between them"

He tried to digest every word he heard; and a question erupted "And where does Harry Potter fit in that remarkable theory?"

"Yes; Harry Potter, an unknown private investigator who suddenly appears out of nowhere bringing forth much needed information in a crucial time; and he persist on obscuring his so-called resources. All what I want to do is to reveal more about him so we can work together more properly; although the last piece of information prove to be useless"

"And fatal" Pierce remarked "I can swear that they were waiting for us"

"They also used the thugs as a bait before disposing them, which adds credibility to my theory; normal allies don't kill each other"

"Your right once again Herms" Pierce said in approval with rubbing his hands in excitement "OK; count me in; what can I help you with?"

Hermione paced toward him with the warrant "I want you to copy this warrant so you can check half the list of the companies while I check the other half; and don't misprize any meager information because it might prove useful in the future"

"Got it" Pierce nodded "Let's begin the hunt" and they both left the office.

------------------------------------

"Hola"

"It's me" the usual caller said before hearing the phone handed to someone else.

"Talk" the firm voice said

"Detective Granger has been handed a search warrant regarding information about Harry Potter as you have predicted"

"Great; now all what she needs is some … Motivation" the firm voice said in a calm tone which surprised the caller.

"What would you benefit from that?"

"Not on the phone" the firm voice said "But I can say it will create a desirable distraction"

"Just a distraction!" the caller exclaimed

"The other benefit will reveal itself soon" the firm voice said cryptically before hanging up as usual.

-------------------------------------

Harry and Tatsuya remained at the Sacred Library until noon; and found nothing. Rubbed his eyelids in pain before mumbling in frustration "We've wasted a whole morning for nothing"

"It was not a waste; we knew that we were looking in the wrong direction" Tatsuya replied without removing his eye from the book he is holding.

"But how can we know the right direction?" Harry replied with his usual hot temper, earning him a scolding glare from his master "Watch your manners, Harry-kun, when you are addressing your sensei"

Harry noticed his improper tone and apologized immediately "Forgive me, sensei; I'm a bit frustrated due to our slow progress while Flint, on the other hand, is acting swiftly and precisely. I don't want any innocent suffer by his hands anymore"

Tatsuya smile in a fatherly manner "I know how are you feeling; you are a hero and a natural leader; I would be surprised if you didn't fell so" then he leaned forward with a serious face "By the way; you haven't describe the curse to me yet"

Harry looked in surprise at his sensei "I thought you told me you knew about it"

"I knew IT but not about it; I a sage not a warlock" the old swordsman explained "So tell me, what does it look like"

Harry straightened out his spectacles before speaking "Actually; I got nothing but scraps. Flint is too cautious and he instructed his death eaters to erase any trace of that spell ever time they use it"; Harry dragged his backpack before continuing "However; our latest encounter with them gave them no time to erase anything, and we came up with this" he pulled out a copy of the curse parameters Sofia wrote down "I never came across a curse with such spell patterns"

"Indeed" Tatsuya retorted as he examined the file "I know each and every spell pattern that has been discovered post Hogwarts; but this curse match none"

"What does that mean" Harry questioned in confusion.

"It means that we were indeed looking in the wrong direction; we have to look into older books deep inside the library" the old sage answered before rubbing his forehead "But now we seem to be rather weary; I suggest that we rest a bit before continuing our search"

Harry rubbed his eyelids and replied "you are right sensei; I feel drained and my eyes are hurting me; I never felt that exhausted since the last time is forced my aura; which reminds me" Harry said as he remembered "It appears that my aura is proving to be an encumber more that a benefit; last time I used it was during an interrogation, and it took me a lot of strength to sustain it"

"That is because you haven't performed any training that could up your endurance, Harry-kun; and you have to get rid of these glasses too; they are also showing quite a disadvantage in battle"

"I can always place a sticking charm on it" Harry blurted

"An your enemy could use a counter charm" Tatsuya stated "But that is not our concern right now; we have to concentrate on the task at hand"

"Very well, sensei" Harry nodded and they both stepped out of the library gates"

-----------------------------------

"That's it" Hermione mumbled "My final destination; I hope they are no as 'Friendly' as they previous ones"

She walked in through the main gates of the company only to be met with a glare from the security guard at the entrance counter.

"May I help you miss?" the security guard asked suspiciously.

"Detective Granger, LAPD; I have a few questions regarding one of your shareholders" Hermione answered flashing her badge.

"If you have the proper papers; I may direct you to someone who can help you" the guard said politely but firmly.

"I think this warrant is sufficient" Hermione retorted pulling out the warrant; the guard scanned it quickly before handing it back "This way" he ushered her toward the elevator and exclaimed at a distant guard before following her "Mark; cover my place for a minute, will ya'"

They reached the highest level which Hermione presumed it was the management office level; they walked forward a bit before reaching a lobby "This is main lobby in the management level; and this is the guide counter" the guard said and he pointed at a nearby counter "they will help you through your investigation"

"Thank you" Hermione thanked the guard, who nodded before turning back toward the elevator hall; she walked calmed toward the guide counter and greeted the employee in charge.

"Good afternoon I am detective Granger from LAPD, and I have a few questions regarding one of your shareholders"

"First; do you have a proper warrant to conduct such investigation?" the employee said, and Hermione showed her the warrant; "This way please" she walked her toward a nearby office and knocked the door before entering.

"Hi Sarah" the employee greeted another woman.

"What is it Mary" the woman said firmly.

"An LAPD detective here wants some questions to the manager; she got all the proper papers"

"I'm afraid you have to wait detective; because the CEO, who has enclosed all the information about the shareholders is in the middle of a meeting"

"I can wait" Hermione said rapidly.

"Then I will return to my post" Mary said before exiting

"Please, have a seat" Sarah pointed her at a chair in front of her "I'm Sarah Springfield; chief secretary of Malcolm Export Co." she offered her a hand

"Hermione Granger; police detective" Hermione accepted her hand graciously thanking God for the warm welcome.

"Care for a drink; detective?"

"A cup of tea will be welcomed"

Sarah nodded and pressed the intercom "Eddie, a cup of tea if you please" then turned back to Hermione "So, what brings a police detective to our humble company? I hope no one has committed a felony"

"Not at all; in fact one of your shareholders has helped us in one of our cases; and we wanted to collect some information regarding him; that's all"

Sarah raised an eyebrow in understanding "I see … Ironically, the CEO's meeting is with the shareholders themselves"

"Really! Then Harry Potter is here" Hermione said excitedly; causing Sarah to shoot up "Harry Potter! Did you say Harry Potter!"

"Yes" said Hermione cautiously "Anything you know about him?"

"I was gonna ask you the same question; we were trying to contact him ever since he bought the shares off the stock market saving the company from liquidation; and his direction helped us greatly in boosting the companies figures up to the beak"

"So, you are telling me that he is an effective shareholder" Hermione said slowly.

"An effective MAJOR shareholder" Sarah corrected "He holds more than 80 of the company's shares"

Hermione's jaw dropped at the revelation "Y-You say 80; then why is he working as a private investigator?"

"PI! Are you sure we are talking about the same Harry Potter?" Sarah said in confusion.

"I'm not sure; but let me describe him anyway; he is a young male in the middle of 20's; unruly raven hair; emerald green eyes …"; but Sarah interrupted her "No need to describe him as no one here has every saw him in person"

"But you said he bought the company's shares" Hermione said in confusion; and Sarah replied immediately "Via an agent, that is. But I'm not in place of telling you anything else; only the CEO knows the full details; I'm but a poor ol' secretary"

Hermione laughed at the last remark and no other word was exchanged between the two women. Finally, after a slow hour, the meeting ended.

"You can enter now detective" Sarah pointed her at the office door; she thanked the secretary and knocked the door before entering.

"Yes?" a chubby man in the middle of his forties said firmly.

"I am detective Hermione Granger, sir; I have a few questions regarding your major shareholder"

"You mean Mr. Potter" the CEO said in surprise "I'm afraid I only have very little information about him" then he remembered that they were standing "How silly of me; please have a seat. I am Edward Peterson; CEO of the ever-flourishing Malcolm Export Co.; thanks to Mr. Potter himself and his crucial instructions"

"So you have seen him; why then did Miss Springfield say that no one saw him?"

"I never said I have seen him; I said that his funds and instruction led our company to flourishing"

"How do you receive his instructions, then?" Hermione demanded.

"By mail" Peterson said simply "And they contain no return address if that came to your mind"

"How did you accept the help of a person you barely know about" Hermione asked in frustration.

"When your company is on the brink of bankruptcy; you ask for money; not details" Peterson answered calmly; and Hermione matched this situation to hers.

"I understand your point of view" she retorted "Can I request something? I need to obtain one of the instruction letters he sent to you"

"You can have them all; we have copied every word of it in our policy book" the CEO said as he pulled out a bundle of papers and handed it to her.

"Thank you" she said before ending the investigation and exiting the building holding her newfound evidence very tightly.

"I hope Pierce has same luck as I do"

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"Well; I'm not" Pierce exclaimed in frustration "And I consider you very lucky that the security got you inside; I barely have a word with them and almost got into a fist fight with one of them"

"Don't be angry; at least we got some evidence" Hermione said "Which we need to send to the analysis laboratory"

"It will take some time for them to get anything useful out of it; so let's call it a day"

"Okay; just don't forget to bring your computer virus tonight in order to catch that hacker" Hermione reminded him; and he slapped his forehead "I totally forgot about that bouncer. Alright; I will be here at the same time as yesterday" and both of them walked out with a pair of eyes following then "Tonight then"

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"So; they are gathering tonight" Flint said in amusement "I don't know what goaded them to do that, but it is a heavenly chance that we must utilize to the maximum"

"What should we do; my lord" Nott asked in his usual grim tone; and Flint wave his hand "Proceed with our plan; and make sure to leave witnesses; we don't want them to associate the 'accident' with an anonymous person"

"Aye; my lord" Nott bowed to him before apparating; and a sly smile played on Flint's lips "I wager it will be so amusing to observe" and he laughed evilly.

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"Mum, Dad; I'm home" Hermione exclaimed as she stepped into the flat. She went straight to the kitchen only to find her mother cooking dinner.

"Mum; what are you doing?" she looked at the food being prepared "And where did you get all that from?"

"Your father and I took the liberty of filling your refrigerator with REAL food" Emma said casually stressing the word 'real' as she spoke "Come and give me a hand"

"Mum" Hermione groaned "I have just come from work and feel so exhausted; and you know that I do not like to cook"

"You have to learn how to do house chores young woman" her mother said firmly "Or you will not find a husband"

"And what would I benefit from that?" Hermione said stubbornly.

"Because" Emma said impatiently "When you see the satisfied look on your husband face; you will then feel fulfilled"

Hermione seemed to analyze every word her mother said; then she spoke suddenly "Mum"

"Yes, dear"

"How would I know that I found a suitable husband?" she asked the question that twirled in her mind for years.

"When the time comes, Hermione; you will know. Because your heart will guide you"

"But my heart can fool me sometimes" she said; and her mother nodded "Yes; that can happen in the beginning when you cannot read your heart correctly. Your husband is the man whom you share the same interest and wavelength with; a man whom you can read his desires before he speaks them" she then looked at her daughter with a significant look "A man who never think twice about sacrificing himself to save you"

Hermione understood what her mother meant, and a blush crept to her cheeks "Mum; you told me not to trust unknown strangers"

"Don't trust them, yes; but that doesn't mean you can't fancy them" Emma retorted "Now, let me finish your father's dinner"

They heard a commotion coming from the guest bedroom before Dan came out of it "Emma; is the dinner ready yet? I am too hungry"

"Right away dear; I just finished your favorite vegetable stew" Emma voiced casually; and was rewarded with kiss on the cheek "You are truly a mind reader"

Emma beamed happily and gave her daughter an 'I told you' glance; and Hermione seemed to begin to grasp the true meaning of the married life … Understanding.

After the dinner; Hermione sat in the living room with her parents reviewing the memory album; she never laughed very hard in her life like she did in those two hours.

"I am telling you" Dan said irritably "I should've won that bet; only if that git hasn't cheated"

"Tom hasn't cheated dear" Emma retorted "It is just because you are a sour loser"

"Who in the world can drink ten bottles in a row without even feeling dizzy?" he snapped

"It is called endurance dear; which, unfortunately; you didn't have"

"Who are you siding with Emma" Dan exclaimed with a hint of anger "Me or Tom?"

"There are no choices here" Emma said as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder. And Hermione was amazed by the amount of love and caring they show to each other

_'I hope I'll be as lucky as them'_ she said to herself.

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Time passes quickly for Pierce; who was having some luxury time with his family. He looked at his watch and cursed loudly.

"Damn; I will barely catch up with him right now" he stood up quickly and paced toward the bedroom.

"What is it darling" Lydia inquired while cuddling their daughter; and Pierce answered from behind the door "My and Hermione have some work to do tonight; we have a hacker to catch"

"Pierce" she scolded "I thought you gave up that thing"

"I did dear" he came out of the room fully dressed "But that doesn't mean I allow that other hackers to wreck our servers; see ya'" he kissed his wife and daughter goodbye; and stormed out of the house not noticing the disk that has fallen out of his pocket.

"Honey; you dropped something" Lydia picked up the disk and tried to catch up with him; but she heard the screech of tyres as he took off. She stood looking at the empty space idly before shrugging "Hasty and clumsy; and lovely. I have to hurry behind him and hand it to him, as always"

Sherry yawned deeply and her mother cuddled her "Sorry sweetheart; it is another night with the Burtons; I have to bring this thing to our father"

She walked toward the bedroom "Not to mention another surprise"

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"Detective Granger! unbelievable! Two nights in a row!" Paul exclaimed in surprise "Is it another tough case?"

"Something like that" Hermione said as she paced toward the elevator "Wish me luck". She reached the third flour and went straight to her office only to find that Pierce has not come yet.

"Pierce; what on Earth are you doing? That hacker will flee again" as she finished her statement; the doors burst open and Pierce came in.

"Sorry I'm late" he greeted breathlessly "I forgot myself in a happy family moment"

"You could've turned on the alarm" Hermione said irritable "No matter; we are here; and that hacker is not"

"I would like to say the same thing …" Pierce retorted as he hit the keys of the keyboard "But he's here"

"Quick; use your virus" Hermione commanded; he nodded excitedly and searched his pockets; but found nothing "Shit; where is it?"

"Pierce …" Hermione yelled at him as her body tensed "Quickly; I think he is leaving"

"Damn" Pierce cursed "I think I've dropped it somewhere" he said as he eyed the screen helplessly; and Hermione sighed in frustration and barely prevented herself from strangling her partner.

"Honestly" she yelled at him "How can you be that stupid?"; he banged the table in anger "That's not the point" he said "The problem is I haven't had the time to coy this virus; and now I've lost it … Permanently"

"Stupid" she mumbled; and he didn't commented. He began to hit the keys as swiftly as usual "At least I can try some old tricks"

He tried to intercept the bounce; but it was all in vain as the hacker was alerted to the interception attempts, and logged out immediately "Damn" Pierce banged the keyboard in anger.

"At least you tried" Hermione patted him on the back; and they both stood looking at the screen idly for a minute before Hermione spoke.

"What are we going to do if he came again?"

Pierce looked a bit depressed as he answered "I don't know. But what I know is that programming another effective Trojan horse will take quite some time from me; and that bouncer will not be here forever" as he finished his statement; footsteps could be heard outside in the hall.

"Somebody is out there" Pierce said as his body tensed; and Hermione tiptoed toward the door "The sound is getting nearer" she whispered.

"Better be ready" he un- holstered his gun and nodded to her; she grabbed the door handle and waited for the person to near.

"Now" Pierce exclaimed at her and she quickly opened the door; he pointed his at the comer.

"Eeeeeeeeep" Lydia screamed when she saw the gun pointed at her; and Pierce prevented himself from shooting at the last moment.

"Shit; Lydia" he paced toward her and pulled her out of the room "I was about to shoot you; what are you doing here?"

"Is that how you thank me?" she snapped at him barely shaking from the near mishap "I brought you this" she handed him the disk; and he hugged her fiercely "I love you; do you know that; you saved my day"

"Like always Pierce" she smiled at his emotional break "And are as clumsy as ever"

"Ahem" Hermione cleared her throat nervously "As much as I hate to interrupt this 'intimate' moment, I think we can return to our homes empty-handed this night"

"Yeah" Pierce said calmly before addressing his wife "I wish you were a bit early honey so we can catch that bouncer; but I admit that not losing this disk is fortunate enough. So, let's call it a night"

"Not yet" a cold voice came from the far shadows; and a person stepped into the light leisurely.

"Harry" Hermione exclaimed happily "When did you return?"

"I was here all the time Granger" Harry replied with unusual sneer "Watching you taking the bait foolishly"

"What are you talking about Potter?" Pierce inquired in confusion protectively hugging his wife for no apparent reason "What bait?"

Harry laughed evilly as he answered "You can say it's a series of baits that you followed with your utter muggle foolishness; which lured you here; right where I wanted you to be"

"I don't understand" Pierce said with more confusion; but Hermione, being highly intelligent, understood everything.

"You" she said in sheer fury "You lured us to a trap; the hideouts were nothing more than a dirty trap"

"Aren't you the clever one luv" Harry sneered at her rage "It is a shame that you are a muggle"

"What muggle? What's goin' on?" Pierce yelled at both of them; and Hermione explained not removing her eyes from Harry "Do you remember the folder he brought, Pierce? When he said it was from his 'good resources'?" she stood silent for a second before resuming "Those so-called resources were Muerte and the death eaters; it was a bait"

"What?" Pierce said in astonishment; and his wife clung onto him with fear as Harry laughed again pulling out his wand "I told you Granger; you are the brightest muggle I ever met; unfortunately, you will not live to tell the tale … _Crucio_"

Pierce screamed as hell when the curse hit him; and his wife shrieked when she saw her husband convulsing madly "Pierce" she exclaimed in hopelessness as she hugged him trying to relieve him from pain.

Hermione's eyes widened "This weapon … HARRY STOP!" Hermione yelled at him in rage, not being able to endure what she is witnessing "STOP!" she yelled again; but he didn't stop until Pierce passed out because of the immense pain; then he turned to her with a dark grin.

"Why are you annoying me woman? Stand back and enjoy the show; your turn will be next" he said with dark delight.

"You are one of them" she said breathlessly "You are a death eater; how didn't I see that"

"Took you so long to admit it" he smirked "The whole case was my doing; and I couldn't help but laugh at your helplessness"

"Why?" she said in disbelief "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you, commoners, are spoiling the world with your foul presence; and it is our ultimate goal to cleanse the world of your dirty blood; and we, the pure bloods will rule" Hermione was shocked at the sheer wickedness he spoke with; and when she locked her eyes with his; there was neither warmth nor care in his eyes, but instead she found sheer malevolence and maliciousness.

"You are not Harry" she whispered as tears began to gather in the back of her eyes "You are not him"

"How sentimental; are you going to cry all over me now?" he said before laughing loudly; and suddenly something solid hit him on the chest. He looked at the fallen handbag then looked at Lydia with furious eyes.

"You monster" Lydia exclaimed "You don't deserve to live"

"You are the one who will die, insolent bitch … _Avada Kedavra_" the sickening green lightning shot out of his wand; and the static electricity filled the air as the curse flew across the hall and hit Lydia squarely in the chest. She flew backwards and fall dropped on the floor … Dead.

"No" Hermione exclaimed desperately, and tried to go and check Lydia; but Harry pointed his wand at her "Don't move" he yelled warningly.

"Harry why? Why are you doing this? I trusted you with my life" she said almost crying; and he replied acidly "Because you are weak. I would love to enjoy torturing you, but I'm already behind schedule and Muerte wants you dead. Farewell, Detective Granger … _Avada Kedavra_"

Her teary eyes widened as the green lightning flew toward her …

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A/N:**_ Awwwwwwww, another cliffhanger; I'm beginning to love this style; admit it, it is nerve pulling, isn't it? Anyway, I apologize if you have seen the pace moving a bit faster; but remember that these events took place within two day; so I couldn't make t any slower. And that short-scene style; I know it is head-spinning, so I promise to use when necessary only. 

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.


	11. Divide and Conquer

**_Disclaimer:_** Harry Potter and characters are in the owned by J.K. Rowling; I only own the plot and the characters you can't recognize are within my ownership.

**_A/N:_** Sorry for being late with the update process; but my new job is taking a lot of time from me. Anyway, I have to warn you that the story is reaching a dark turn from this point forward; so sensitive people beware (Dark does not mean gore; remember that).

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Divide and Conquer

While Harry was leafing through the ancient books of the sacred library, he felt sharp pain piercing through his heart; he kneeled forcefully as he was taken by surprise by that sharp pain.

"Are you okay, Harry-kun?" asked Tatsuya with concern.

"I'm alright" Harry said breathlessly and with a pale face "It felt like my heart was pierced with a sharp knife"

"A sharp knife …" the old sage mumbled absentmindedly; then said firmly "Harry-kun; you need to leave; this sharp pain indicates that someone close to you is in grave danger"

"What!" Harry exclaimed "But … Who?"

"Your heart felt the pain; your heart will lead you to the source. Just go" Tatsuya said horridly; and Harry hesitated "How about the curse?"

"Harry-kun; you seem so hesitant about saving this person; leave the research to me and do your job. I will contact you if I found anything; just leave the parameter report so I can check my findings"

Harry pulled out the report and handed it to his sensei "At least tell me how can I know who is the one in danger"

Tatsuya stood up and ushered Harry to do so "Now, close your eyes, and concentrate on the pain feeling you just experienced; and an image will appear in your mind. Harry did as he was told, and a distorted image came to his mind before it clarified.

"No …" Harry whispered "Hermione …"

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"_Avada Kedavra_ …" Hermione's teary eyes widened as the green lightning flew toward her. Suddenly, a burst of flame erupted in front of her, and a red-feathered huge bird appeared out of thin air and swallowed the green lightning, before getting scorched again and turning into ashes.

"Impossible" Harry's eyes widened "Bloody bird"; he prepared to shoot another curse but, much to his luck, he heard the elevator doors opening at the same time a strong surge of pain overcome his body.

"Damn" he cursed angrily "You got lucky this time Granger; but next time; you won't" and he disappeared back into the shadows he came from.

Hermione stood in state of astonishment for a minute trying to understand what has happened during the last ten minutes; but the voice of Officer Greene returned her to reality before concluding anything.

"Detective Granger I heard som- … Good Lord, what happened?" Paul asked in shock as he saw the massacre that happened; and Hermione replied quickly "We were attacked Paul; quick, call the ambulance"; Paul nodded and headed back to the elevator hall.

Hermione ran toward Pierce, who was still lying down, and checked him quickly. Luckily, he was still alive though, at the same time, unconscious. She slapped lightly trying to wake him up; but all what he did was groaning and murmuring "Lydia …"; he mumbled lightly, and she remembered that there was another fallen victim.

She paced toward Lydia praying to God that she is alright, but when she reached her she felt a shudder overcome her as she observed her motionless body; she slowly turned her on her back only to gasp sharply as a pair of two vacant eyes stared at her.

"NO" Hermione exclaimed in anguish as she started CPR, but it was all in vain … Lydia was already dead.

"NO; Lydia please, wake up" Hermione yelled at the fallen woman; and her eyes glistened with tears. She continued the CPR procedure for another five minutes; but with no avail.

"Damn" she said as she helplessly gazed the dead body of her partner's wife "DAMN YOU POTTER! WHY!"

Her tears began to fall; and for a minute she did nothing but crying; until she heard a strange singing coming from the pile of ashes that was all left from the strange bird. And suddenly, another bird appeared from that pile of ashes looking exactly like the bird that scorched; before it too disappear in a whirl of fire, and she was all alone … again.

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"I don't believe it!" Ron exclaimed in frustration as he paced back and forth in the main hall of the HQ with Vlad looking at him indifferently "The day has passed and he didn't contact us"

"He will, sir; I am sure of that" Vlad answered firmly, and Ron nodded with agreement "I'm not questioning his survival ability, Vlad; It's just that he asked me to deliver these files to him, here; but he hasn't showed yet"

Ron continued his pacing, but not for long, as he was fed up with it "THAT'S ENOUH; any more waiting and I will kill my self for sure" he turned to Dick, who was working on his PC "I will go out and look for any information regarding our case; do you want me to bring anything from the precinct, Dick?"

Dick waved graciously as he replied "Thanks for the offer Wes, but I got everything I want by hacking; although there was another hacker on the other side who appears to be an elite"

"Must be Pierce" Ron ensued casually "But what is he doing at the precinct in this late hour?"

"Don't know, but it's nothing our Sofia can't investigate; I'll contact her immediately" Dick replied in excitement and was about to send the instructions; but stopped dead in his tracks.

"What? Why have you stopped?" Ron asked in concern.

"Weird; Sofia has sent an e-mail that is titled 'Stat'; I hope nothing is wrong" Dick answered while checking it up

"Then check it up" Vlad said in his usual firmness.

"I'm doin' it right now, and it says, hmmm … Auror report no. blab blab, yada yada yada … Yes, here where we begin; another death eater attack"

"Finally they're showing up again" Ron exclaimed in sheer excitement he didn't try to hide "when and where?"

"As for the time; it has just happened ten minutes ago; as for the place …" Dick didn't complete his sentence as he eyed the name of the location.

"Where, Dick! Where!" Ron urged him to talk.

"You won't believe it …" Dick said finally in hoarse voice "The precinct itself …"

And Ron's eyes widened at the revelation.

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Alicia yawned soundly and stretched her limbs as the clock was ticking slowly toward the end of the shift.

"Man … this shift is as dead as the morgue" she stated in boredom "If I don't get something to do right know, I might drop snoring"

"Then snore in another room please; I need some silence in here" Ginny replied firmly not removing her eyes from what appeared to be a report she's writing.

"Are still persistent on completing that report? It won't hurt to delay it a bit"

"I've delayed it too much" Ginny replied firmly "And if I delay it much further, my chance for earning the fellowship will go up to smoke"

"Are you still thinking about that fellowship? You are still a first year resident; and you got some major competition, ya' know; so your chance is about"

"I know" Ginny sighed irritably not liking the 'encouragement' her friend showing "But it won't hurt to try"

"Right …" Alicia said slowly before pulling the report off Ginny's hands without warning.

"Hey!" Ginny yelled in anger trying to reach the report "Give it back"

"Not until you promise me to postpone it for some time; the interview will take place within two months ahead, and I'm getting bored of watching you writing" Alicia said to Ginny as she held the report away from her; Ginny tried to reach it but she couldn't.

"Okay, I give up, I will delay it; give it back now" Ginny said irritably; but Alicia shock her head in refusal and replied sweetly "You didn't say the magic word"

Ginny sighed in frustration before speaking again "Would you give it back … Please?"; and Alicia nodded in agreement and gave back the report.

"Now" Alicia said happily "Let's talk about something other than work. What should we talk about?"

Ginny shrugged indifferently "I don't know; you are the one who suggested the whole thing"

"I know; let's talk about you; your love life to be precise" Alicia suggested; and Ginny startled at the sudden suggestion.

"Why have you chosen such sensitive subject" Ginny said awkwardly; and Alicia's eyes rolled before replying "Because it IS a sensitive subject; and I like to discuss such subjects. Now, care to tell me who was the first love interest in your life?"

Ginny blushed fiercely before answering "You met him once before; he's Harry Potter"

Alicia yelled in victory making Ginny jump "I know it; so tell me, how was your first date with that hot guy?"

"Believe it or not; we've never dated" Ginny answered casually; earning her a disapproved snort from her friend "What? Never dated? How can you pass up such good-looking guy?"

Ginny sighed in depression as she explained "We were raised together for quite some time; he was an orphan who lost his entire family in a bloodthirsty murder, and when we lived together he always treated me like a sister, the sister he never had"

"How sad … But when was it when you discovered your feeling toward him?"

"I always fancied him; being our school famous icon; but my feeling towards him didn't increase until we embarked into a series of … Dangerous adventures; and he saved my life in each and every one of them. Sense then I felt so attracted to him; my feeling even increased when he started to track down his family's murderers; which gained him more renown in our … County. I finally revealed my feeling toward him just before he came here, but he insisted on treating me like a sister" Ginny sighed slowly trying to calm her nerves "So, after he rejected me I asked myself an important question; was it love that I felt toward him; or it was just simple crush that I felt toward Harry Potter; the icon?"

"What was it then?" asked Alicia, who was deeply immersed into the story; and Ginny smiled unhappily before answering "Sadly enough; it was the latter; so I finally came to terms with my infatuation and sworn to wait until my heart decide who is my true love"

Alicia gaze silently upon her friend's sad face before speaking "Well, I thought we were going to have fun with this conversation; but it looks like I triggered some deeply buried emotions inside you; sorry Gin"

Ginny chuckled "Don't worry; I needed to speak my mind with someone I trust; and who would been more trusting than you; my noisy friend" she smacked Alicia lightly on the head; and the latter laughed "You said it girlfriend; and don't worry about that thickhead investigator; one day you will a lord"

"My dear Alicia; Harry Potter is a lord" Ginny said with a smile, and Alicia looked at her in speechless shock; they didn't say another word as Martha, the admission desk employee, stormed into the room.

"Dr. Weasley, Dr. Adams; EMTs are pulling in with two, ETA ten minutes"

"Well then" Alicia stood up trying to cover her shock "Let's get our hands dirty"

They took their positions in front of the ER entrance; as the first victim brought in, she's fallen into shock "Pierce!"

The EMT began his chores "Pierce McLaden; 29-year-old male; 6'3", suffering from multiple seizures and we've counted three until now; been unconscious during the trip; airway has been established properly"

"Thank you Lopez; take him to trauma one now. Alicia, I'll take him and you handle the rest" said Ginny before heading toward the trauma room.

As soon as she stepped in, she assumed her usual role "Okay everybody; I want a clean swift procedure this time; Maria, I want CBC, chem.-7, blood gases and X-ray"

"He's seizing" Nurse Katie exclaimed.

"Damn; 8 mg of Valium; quick" Ginny said as she examined him physically "Abdomen rigid and distended; must be internal injuries …"

The procedure went through for fifteen minutes before everything became under control. After she finished with Pierce, she walked into the trauma room next door where Alicia was working on the second patient.

"Time of death … 1:47" Alicia said in a shaky voice; and Ginny felt a sudden pang in her heart at the statement. Everyone stepped out of the room slowly except her and Alicia who turned to her slowly.

"How is your patient?" she said with unusual sadness; and Ginny looked at her oddly before answering "Luckily, he will survive; I assume yours didn't"

"Bull's eye" Alicia replied with dark sarcasm "At least she won't be orphan after all"; the statement caused Ginny to think fiercely before speaking "Who was it, Alicia?"

"See yourself" Alicia said gloomily as she removed the sheet of the body's face; and Ginny gasped soundly "Lydia; No …"

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Ron walked into the precinct at 2:00 only to be greeted with a buzz sound as the police officers paced here and there posting some criminal images.

"Detective Weasley; welcome back" Office Greene greeted him hastily before walking away.

"What happened, Paul? Why is everybody on their toes?"

"A disaster sir; detective Granger barely escaped from another assassination attempt; and detective McLaden and his wife were injured badly; but I'm not the best one who can tell you the details, detective Granger is; you'll probably find her at her offices"

"Thanks Paul; I'll go now" Ron said as he walked toward the elevator; he reached the third floor quickly; and saw that it was as crowded as the first floor; some investigators were taking photos of the crime scene and a strange pile of ashes; and he saw Sofia amid them.

"Sof- Laura; what happened in here" Ron said cautiously; and the metamorph replied "There was an attack here involved detectives Granger and McLaden …" she looked at him with a significant look and lost her balance dropping the file she was holding on purpose.

"Watch it" Ron kneeled as if was trying to catch her; and she whispered slowly "_Traces of the Cruciatus curse all over the place_"; she stood up and thanked him before returned to her work; and Ron stood thinking about what she said before heading toward Hermione's office.

He knocked the door before entering; and the first thing he saw was Hermione leaning at her desk while covering her face with her hands; he stepped in silently and walked toward her.

"Hermione; are you all right?" Ron whispered at her, and she jerked at his voice and uncovered her face; he saw the trail of tears in her face … She was crying.

"Ron, welcome back; I hope your fare was okay … Unlike here" she greeted him gloomily; and he noticed the uneasiness in her voice "What happened here Hermione? I head that you were involved into another assassination attempt; are you alright?"

She didn't bother answering him as she spoke absentmindedly "Have you ever trusted someone, Ron? Trusted him so much even with your life; and in the end it appeared that this very person was the one responsible of turning your own life upside down. Have you every granted someone everything he desired; and he used your grant to turn your life into living hell? Have you!"

Ron looked at Hermione with utter confusion "What are you talking about, Hermione?"

At that time, Hermione's lower lips began to tremble; and her tears began to flow again as she answered him "It was Harry, Ron; it was Harry who attacked us"; and Ron entered a state of shock "Harry! Impossible! It can't be!"

"It already happened, Ron; he attacked us and confessed that he was working for the death eaters; he tricked us into trusting him; he tricked me" she barely held herself from crying all over him; and she covered her face with her hands again. Ron patted her on her shoulder as a way of comforting her, before assuming the seat in front of her and speaking calmly "Now, I want you to tell me everything that happened …"

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Pierce opened his eyes slowly and found out that he was lying on a hospital bed; he sat up slowly biting his lower lip out of pain only to feel a pair of soft hands helping him; and a familiar smell of jasmine filled his lungs.

"You should not be moving, Mr. McLaden; your injuries are yet to be healed" he heard a familiar angelic voice and turned toward the source to be greeted with the face of Ginny.

"I think I should be attacked more often to be able to see you, Dr. Weasley" he said in his usual amusing remark; but felt uneasy as Ginny smiled weakly "What is it?" he asked gravely; and Ginny leaned toward him with a grim face "It's about your wife"

"Lydia; what happened to her; is she alright?" he exclaimed while leaning forward violently, and how groaned as his whole body itched with pain.

"You shouldn't move violently Mr. McLaden; your body is battered enough" Ginny helped him resting back on his bed; and he asked weakly "Ginny, what happened to my wife? Tell me she's alright"

Ginny sighed soundly before speaking "Mr. McLaden; your wife was brought here right after you; we utilized all our abilities to revive her; but she was already dead when they brought here … We couldn't save her … I'm sorry"

Pierce's eyes widened as she said those word; and as she finished he was so pale and in a total state of shock "No, no, no, NO … WHY; WHY HER!" he began to shake violently and screamed madly "SHE WAS INNOCENT; WHY HER!"

Ginny tried to calm him down; but he pushed her away as he tried to get up; and his whole body itched again "LYDIA, LYDIA; YOU CAN'T BE DEAD, NOT YOU!" and tears began to flow from his eyes.

"Mr. McLaden, please; your body can't take anymore" she pushed him back on his bed, and he obeyed weakly as if he was a rag doll "Not her; please tell me it's not her"; he began to cry on her shoulder, and she massaged his back in a comforting way "Shh, shh; relax, you are now the only family for your daughter; you won't be any help to her if you were handicapped" she slowly injected him with a sedative.

The statement hit him "Sherry; where is she? No body at home with her now"

"Don't you have a nanny for her?"

"No, not after Lydia left her job; please bring her here for me; Lydia must've dropped her at our neighbors' as usual, please" Pierce said slowly as the medicine began to take effect.

Ginny nodded at him "Okay; you just relax here and I will go to look for her now"; Pierce smiled at her weakly "Thank you Ginny; you are such a wonderful person" and he drifted to sleep.

Ginny stepped out of the ward barely holding together; it took her great deal of strength to prevent her self from crying in front of him, but now she couldn't take it anymore; so she leaned against the nearest wall and let her tears flow freely.

"Why? Why should the innocent always suffer?"

--------------------------------------------

" … And the ambulance came and picked up Pierce and Lydia" Hermione ended her retelling of the incident to Ron, who sat silently digesting every word she said; and at the end of her speech he finally spoke "That was … Horrible"

"You've been lucky not going through this whole ordeal; I can't believe that Harry did this, just when I began to trust him" Hermione said her last word as in a stifle; and Ron sense something beyond mere distrust in her words; but it was not the right time or place to speak about anything but the case at hand.

"As for me; I believe that it was not Harry who did it" Ron said attracting her attention "That must be a death eater in disguise"

"Honestly Ron, how can I mistake a disguise?" Hermione said in disapproval "It was Harry, his hair, face, and even sound proves it. Although I have to admit that his eyes weren't; his eyes didn't show the usual gentleness and warmth, instead they showed utter malice and cruelty; as if he was enjoying our pain and torture. It was … Brutal" she ended her statement with unsteady voice and Ron felt sympathy towards her; whatever she faced it wasn't meant to be _'Muggles shouldn't encounter our dangers, it won't be fair'_ he thought to himself.

"There is another thing that I forgot to mention" she said in a tone that attracted his attention "There was some kind of bird, a red bird, that appeared in a burst of flame and swallowed the green light aimed at me before burning to crisp" she looked at Ron, who nodded her to continue "It was strange enough that it appeared out of nowhere, but what happened next was even stranger"

"What happened?" Ron asked in apparent curiosity, but deep in his mind he knew what next, and Hermione proved him right when she said "It appeared out of its ashes, as I it was … A phoenix"

A pregnant silence followed her statement, before Ron spoke firmly "I can't explain what happened; but deep inside I believe in one thing … Harry didn't do it"

"Based on what proof?" she interrupted him with equal firmness; and he blurted "Because he …" but stopped before revealing anything; she looked at him stubbornly before relying "Was with you, right? He told me that before going to your flat the day you left; but now I see that he lied"

Ron didn't reply, so Hermione continued "I think this matter will be of dispute until we meet that so-called investigator again … Or arrest him" they ended their controversy with the last agreement not knowing that at the same time, Harry was crossing the front doors of the precinct.

Before he passed through the doors he felt some kind of magnetic field around him; he thought it was some king of ward, but it was unlike any ward he ever encountered. He dropped the matter off his mind as it was not the best time for it, he have to make sure that Hermione is alright. The second he passed through the doors he was met with a cold breeze which forced him to pull his coat tighter, and large commotion amid the police officers, which made him feel more uncomfortable; he walked toward the nearest office in intend to ask him about Hermione.

"Excuse me officer; may I speak with detective Granger" he asked politely as usual; but the look on the officer's face wasn't of his liking.

"Son of a bitch … Freeze" the cop pulled out his gun and pointed it at him; and the rest of the police force who noticed his presence did the same.

"What? What is it?" Harry asked in confusion; but was forced to kneel by an officer as another cuffed his hands.

"Why are you doing this? I did nothing" Harry exclaimed in a mix of confusion and anger as he tried to stand up; but the officer behind him forced his head down as he yelled back at him "You got the nerve of asking about what you've done? Keep your head down you fucker"; he began to search him thoroughly and he pulled out his wand.

"What is this? A wooden stick! And I thought I've seen everything" he handed the wand to his fellow officer and continued his search; until his hand hit the sheathed sword under the coat "What we got here! A cold steel; now that is considered a weapon. You've got the right to remain silent; any word you speak of will be counted against you …"

Harry was fuming right now "That is an outrage; I demand explanation; I demand an audience with detective Granger"

"You will ... In the interrogation room" the officer said to him as he was pushed toward the elevator; when they reached the interrogation room he was handed to the officer in charge, who was no one but Officer Crawford.

"Damn; I knew you would be caught; but not that quick"

"He walked trough the front doors so innocently; as if he didn't do anything" the officer who brought him remarked sarcastically; and Crawford laughed ironically before replying "Well, put this jerk inside; Granger will soon deal with him"

They placed Harry in the same room that he interrogated the thug in "Such irony" he muttered sarcastically; then he assumed a serious face as Hermione stepped in with Ron on her tail.

"Potter … How dare you show your face after what you've did?" Hermione said in sheer anger that surprised Harry.

"Hermione" he said in confusion "What happened?"

"Do you have the nerve to play dumb on me? It is barely two hours since you attacked us injuring both Lydia and Pierce; and you almost killed me"

"I attacked you! But I wasn't even in the states"

"Don't you dare lie to me!" she slapped the table hard "Did you think that I recognize you in the darkness? Unlucky for you the hall was not all dark, and I could recognize you easily. Now tell me, who are you really and where've you been before you attacked us?"

"I told you, I was out of the states" he said stubbornly; but she interrupted him for a good reason "Then why didn't we find a flight ticket with your name on it? Or your work address? Or even any information regarding your residence here and in England" Harry was dumbfounded at her findings; and he cursed himself silently for forgetting such trifle details.

Hermione sensed his uneasiness, and smiled in victory "Slipped off your mind, didn't it?" he didn't reply, so she completed "And you were either unlucky, or thick, to use the name of a businessman; although I found nothing but meager information …" she threw a copy if the letters she got from the company "… But our experts will compare it with the handwritings in the folder you gave me; and this will affirm whether it is your handwriting or not"

Harry didn't say a single word, and appeared as if he was clueless; but deep in his mind, his highly experienced brain cells were fully functioning and processing every word she said _'She has gone beyond expectations; I truly underestimated her'_

"Now; you can spare me the trouble by telling me one thing; who are you really … Potter or whoever you are?" she waited for an answer, but received nothing but the same irritating silence "ANSWER POTTER" she exclaimed angrily and slapped the table hard, but he didn't even flinch, "So, trying to be a strong bloke? A night or two in the isolated lockup will definitely force you to yield"

She turned around and was about to walk out of the room; but Harry called her calmly "Hermione" she turned around with a raised eyebrow "Whatever happened here tonight; it was not my doing; I have been framed"; she turned her back on him before replying "It is detective Granger for you … Potter"

As soon as she walked out of the interrogation room, Officer Crawford stepped in and picked him up; after a short walk, he dropped him in a small dim cell and walked out without a word although he seemed angry.

'Great, like I need this whole bloody situation; bloody good timing' he thought angrily "But it is the time for re-evaluation not self-reproach; but first we need to get out of this bloody prison"

He tried to apparate to the HQ; but he tried for whole ten minutes and failed miserably 'Bloody Hell; why can't I apparate, I can sense a ward pulling me down; but I don't remember passing one; unless …' he remembered the magnetic field he felt at the entrance "Of course! How can I be that stupid; luckily, I got another trick up my sleeve … Fawkes" the trusty phoenix appeared out of thin air and landed on Harry's shoulders; he brushed its feathers and felt him somewhat weakened. He said calmly "How are you doing friend, I hope that protecting Hermione didn't give you any trouble; anyway, right now it appears I can't seem to be able to apparate, so I need you to help me reach the HQ as soon as possible" he didn't need to complete his sentence as Fawkes instantly engulfed both of them in flames; few seconds later, they appeared in the intelligence hall of the HQ and he saw Ron arguing with Dick before he notice his arrival.

"Bloody Hell Harry! What took you so long?" Ron shifted his attention to him.

"The death eaters placed an anti-apparition ward around the police station; that's what kept me" Harry said casually as he walked toward his office, with Ron following him.

"Merlin! A ward encircling the whole precinct? But I didn't feel anything …" Ron was dumbfounded at the revelation.

"Well, I barely felt strange magnetic field surrounding the precinct, which I think was produced using the EMPA" Harry said as he opened the door to his office and switched on the lights.

"EMPA! Now, now, Harry; here is where we disagree. As the team's muggle artifact specialist, I have to say that firing electromagnetic pulse weapons do not go unnoticed; and it doesn't place a magnetic field only; but temporarily disable any muggle electronics within its radius; which means that the whole precinct's electronics must've been disabled by the time we reached it"

Harry got irritated at the improper-timed scientific explanation and voiced his irritation in his reply "I know Ron, I've read some muggle physics books during the last month; but this is not the best time to discuss this 'theory'. Also, keep in mind that Flint might've incorporated magic into the machine which led to this unusual phenomenon"; he assumed his seat before continuing "Now, care to tell me … what happened?"

Ron seated down and began to retell the event as Hermione told him, and saw Harry's body tense as he want further into the story; but when he reached the last part where Fawkes appeared, he saw a faint smile and Harry's body totally relaxed.

"So that's why it appeared a bit weak" Harry mumbled to himself, before speaking up to Ron "Thank you for your thorough report, Ron; now if you may, I need to write down every word you said into an incidence report; and also, I have to arrange my thoughts. So, would you please summon the team leaders and Sofia and arrange an urgent auror meeting for me?"

"Right away, Harry" Ron nodded at his superior and best mate and walked out of the room. Harry leaned back in his seat and began processing every word Ron said _'Now let's see; an imposter disguised as me attack Hermione and her muggle friends probably killing one and injuring the other; the muggle police arrested me without second thought and Hermione seemed enraged with me; I couldn't apparate from the police station because, apparently, someone has placed an anti-apparition ward that was concealed somehow; also, my wand and sword got confiscated. If this isn't a bad situation then I'm a flobberworm'_

He opened a drawer and pulled out a parchment and a quill, then dipped the quill in an ink pot in on the desk and began to write the incidence report …

--------------------------------

"WHAT! ESCAPED! HOW CAN YOU BE SO CARELESS!" Hermione bellowed at Officer Crawford, who's face turned red from shame and irritation "I wasn't careless, detective Granger; he's definitely hasn't escaped by normal means because the cameras hasn't recorded any break-out, as if he has magically … Disappeared"

"Nonsense" Hermione said firmly, and something hit her "Of course; how can I be so stupid; the same thing happened with Muerte; so, if Potter was from the death eaters …"

She cut her voiced thoughts when she saw Crawford looking confusingly at her, and she looked at him firmly "Mike, I want you to prevent anyone from putting a foot inside the holding cell where Potter was until the investigators finish their work" she finished her words before pacing toward the elevator and going straightly to the third floor aiming for the Captain's office.

"Captian Maro- … Oh, you're here" she said in loathsome manner as she eyed the hateful FBI agent.

"Well Granger, I heard that your PI friend wasn't a friend after all" Johnson sneered in enjoyment.

"None of your business, Johnson" she snapped at him before turning to her boss "Captain, I request an open search warrant for Potter"

"Not so fast, detective" Maronski said firmly "First, let the investigator team finish their work, and then we'll talk about that"; Hermione said now word as she stepped out of the office.

"Granger" Johnson called her firmly.

"What is it, Johnson?" she responded coldly; but the agent never minded her tone as he replied "I want just to remind you that we on the same side; even though we are not on the same wavelength; so, how about forgetting our feud and joining forces" he extended his hand toward her, but all what she did is looking at him coldly and replied "In your dreams, Johnson; I reckon that you have proved to be untrustworthy. So, forget it"

She turned her back on him and continued on her way; then she heard him bellow "Is that what I deserve for being helpful? Remember Granger, you are all alone and that Potter has marked you for death, you hear me? Death"

"I believe that he didn't have a liking of you either, so we are in the same position" she retorted quickly and didn't wait for his reply as jumped into the open elevator.

She reached the basement floor and went straight to the holding cells only to find Crawford and the team of CSIs minus one.

"Where's Laura?" she asked the nearest investigator.

"Family emergency, she had to go quickly; but don't worry, we are more than enough to do this work"

"I hope so …" she replied in unconvinced manner; as much as she loathed the mentioned investigator, she was one of the best whom she worked with. She then walked past them toward the evidence vault, signed the needed papers, and entered. As soon as she entered she saw her goal on the nearest shelf, Harry's sword and wand.

She picked up the elegant shaped wand and admired the craftsmanship that made it _'Why would a sensible person walk around while pocketing a worthless peace of wood; I have to admit that it has been crafted elegantly, but this isn't a convincing reason. And what is the meaning of this drawing' she looked interestingly at the phoenix carving that encircles the wand 'It looks like a bird of some sort; but I can't identify it clearly'_

She put the wand back to its place, and picked up the sword _'Now that is wicked'_ she partially unsheathed the sword and gasped in awe as she eyed the shining metal, she took notice of the English name and Japanese characters on both sides of the blade _'Godric Gryffindor … Who is it?'_; She unsheathed the sword totally and waved it unskillfully _'Light … Yet deadly; he could've sliced me in half if he wanted to'_

After examining the sword fully, she returned everything to its place and walked out of the evidence vault and went back to the busy investigators "Can I speak with you please" she said to one of the investigator who appeared to be their superior.

"Yes, detective?" he looked at her cautiously.

"I just want to know if you have begun your work on the confiscated evidences, the sword and the wooden stick"

"Ah, well, we were about to process it, but this 'incident' halted it temporarily. Anyway, we have taken a few pictures of them and sent it to the lab; you can check with Yoshiro, the lab specialist, if you want to check up any progress; you can find him in the lab in the second floor"

"Thank you" Hermione said as she walked away; she got into the elevator and pushed the button to the second floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened she leapt forward eagerly toward the lab and entered without caring to knock the doors.

"Excuse me" she called the lab specialist who was immersed in his work, and he jumped at her voice.

"Whoa; haven't you heard about knocking before entering before entering?" the Asian specialist yelled in disapproval, and she apologized for her rudeness.

"Sorry about that; the leading investigator said that you have somewhat processed the confiscated items that we got from Harry Potter"

"Ah, yes, the katana and that wooden stick; we've examined that stick first and it appeared as ordinary as any other of its kind" he handed her several pictures of the wand, and she took a quick glance of it, then he resumed "But when we took an X-Ray photo, we found something weird" he pulled an X-Ray photo out of a drawer, and handed it to her "The stick is hollow, but not empty; it contains a bird's feather" she can see his point as the photo clearly showing the image of the hollow wand.

"Have you specified what kind of bird?" she asked him as a theory began to develop in her mind.

"Not yet; we were about to extract the feather from it, but we fear that we might damage the evidence, so we preferred to use less invasive approach, like photo comparison" he said casually before pulling out another pile of pictures an X-Ray photos "And we found a match in an odd place … The katana handle"

"What? It's an odd place indeed" she retorted, and he pointed at an area in the X-Ray photo of the sword handle and the wand "Look here, the same patterns, but if you looked closely, you will see that the stick's feather is more worn out that the one in the katana handle, which means that it has been placed in the stick in a time prior to the handle"

She looked at the photos in amazement before speaking again "Speaking of swords, have you translated the Japanese markings on the blade?" she said.

"Of course; if I, pure Japanese, didn't translate it, then who would? The words engraved are 'Phoenix Blade'" he said the words slowly, and Hermione looked at him as her eyes gleamed "Phoenix, you say of course; the patterns of the stick carvings match the mythological shape of the phoenix; but, why is the phoenix mentioned her and there?"

"I don't know, but something came back to me and … Nah, forget it" he said half-mindedly, and she urged him to speak "Speak your mind, it won't hurt even if it was wrong"

"It isn't about right and wrong, it's just … a bit silly. You know that I'm Japanese, and we have book-loads of legends; my grandfather once told me about a legend, and said that it will happen soon; this legend involves a legendary katana …This katana, to be precise"

Hermione was in state of confusion "You really lost me here"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the best one to tell you anything about it; you should speak with my grandfather"

Hermione nodded "If it helps the case, then yes; can you arrange a meeting between me and him?"

Yoshiro looked apologetically as he answered "I'm sorry, but he is out of the country now; but he will not take long; as soon as he returns I will inform you"

She nodded in appreciation "Thank you, is there anything else you can share?"

"Yes, it's about the pile of ashes they found in the crime scene" he leaned forward "We've processed it and the result came out weird; it seams that it belongs to an animal of some kind because we found traces of amino acids. The problem is; these traces are so scarce because whatever the creature was, it has been burned at a very high temperature that we can only find in metal factories and volcanoes; it is so strange that the hall wasn't touched; what kind of weapon can do that; and most importantly, what was the creature that has been burned" Yoshiro said as he rubbed his head trying to think of an answer

"I don't know" Hermione lied; she wanted to tell him about the strange bird, but something in her mind told her not to; then something hit her "That bird …" she mumbled.

"Sorry? Did you say something?" Yoshiro looked up at her.

"Nothing; can I ask a favor? Can you send me a copy any report about anything regarding this case?"

"Of course" he said and winked at her "And I'll make sure that the feds wouldn't know about it"

"It will be much appreciated" she thanked him graciously before walking out of the lab.

---------------------------------

"Harry, the team leaders and Sofia are all here" Ron said as he popped his head into Harry's office.

"Okay, escort them all to the meeting room, and be ready for full case discussion" Harry replied as he pocketed the report parchment and picked up the case brief. He then walked out of his office toward the intelligence hall only to find Dick sitting in front of the computer immersed, as usual.

"Dick! Why aren't you at the meeting!" Harry said firmly; and dick jumped when he heard his commander's voice.

"Sir, I-I thought it was another team leaders meeting, so I …" Dick stammered as he tried to explain, but he was stopped by a firm wave from Harry.

"Do not assumed every again; it is a case discussion not a group meeting, and I always want my team members to be updated; so, if you want to be a death tracker then act like one; get used to the sudden meetings, and always remember, constant vigilance"

"Sir, yes sir" Dick saluted his superior firmly and jogged off the hall; Harry followed a moment after. He heard the commotion coming out of the meeting room; but as soon as he entered, silence fell.

He gazed upon the crowd with unusual firmness, which caused a shudder to spread amid them; he assumed his leader seat and all have seated after; the silence persisted for a whole ten minutes before Harry broke it.

"We … Have a situation here" said Harry slowly, and all of them, save Ron and Sofia, looked at him with utter confusion, which didn't last as he continued "There has been a murder and a casualty at least among the muggles; I know it is not something unordinary considering the death eaters at loose, but you have to know that the victims are no other than our unofficial allies; the muggle police detectives" as he said those last words, murmurs have risen up; "The main problem, or problems to be correct, is that I was the one who was framed with the murder" several gasps have been heard, and the murmurs became loud; Harry gestured them to silence before continuing "The second problem is when I was arrested, and my belongings got confiscated; I tried to apparate from the holding cells; but I appears that the death eaters were ready for that attempt; they have erected an anti-apparition ward and concealed it somehow"

"You mean with a concealment charm, sir" Vanessa asked curiously; and Harry shook his head "No, not a concealment charm, but something else; I have a theory regarding it, but first let's hear yours … Anyone?"

The hall fell into pregnant silence as Harry waited for someone to talk; finally, Auror Lee Chang spoke breaking the silence "Sir, have you identified the impersonator and the method he used yet?"

"A good question, Lee" Harry nodded "But as you see, we have just discovered the murder, so the murderer hasn't been caught yet. As for the impersonation method, my theory is that it the method won't be other than polyjuice potion; or the murderer might be a metamorphagus"

Vlad seemed to be in intense thinking before getting up and asking "Sir, How did the death eaters know that the muggle detectives will be present during that time? Auror Weasley said it is unlikely of them to be there during that late hour"

Harry looked at him with a significant glance "Well, you don't expect us to be the only ones with insiders in the precinct now, do you Vlad?"

Harry then waited for another question to be asked; and when he received nothing, he decided to put forth his theories "I see that you have no more questions, so let's discuss my theories" everybody paid careful attention at what was going to be said "From the beginning of this case, I felt that everything was confusing; the murders, Flint's alliance with a muggle, and finally; their attempt to kill the muggle detectives; I couldn't see how can the death eaters benefit from such deeds; but then, everything seemed to clarify" he leaned forward and continued "Unfortunately for the death eaters is that I'm a half-blood; so I have some muggle habits which I couldn't give up; on of them is reading the muggle newspapers, where I found something rather intriguing" he pulled out an old newspaper from his pocket and threw it across the table for all to see "A muggle device was has disappeared in strange circumstances, and all what appeared on the muggle surveillance cameras was a black hooded figure; a death eater to be precise"

Sofia looked at him confusingly before asking "But sir, what would the death eaters benefit from stealing muggle artifacts"

Harry smiled at her before answering "Dear Sofia, we all know that magic can do great things; and these things can be even greater if magic and muggle artifacts have been utilized together in a good way; so you never know what they can come up with when they incorporate magic with the stolen device; but knowing the death eaters; we can expect it to be so harmful; Which bring us to my second theory" he picked up the newspaper and flashed the bold title "This contraption, called EMPA, is a device used to produce a strong electro-magnetic pulse that can knockout the power out of three to four city block; but the effect of incorporating magic into it is yet to be discovered … or it what appears to be" he looked at them intently "When I passed the gates of the police station this morning, felt some kind of magnetism erupted inside me; and I didn't feel the anti-apparition ward that hindered my escape; so I assumed that Flint has used this contraption in masking the presence of the ward"

Dick stated in confusion "But sir, shouldn't the precinct be de-electrified?"

"In normal cases, yes" Harry replied casually "But in tour case, I can't be certain; and I will say it again … We do not know the effect of magic on this contraption"

The pregnant silent fell again; before auror William Hanson cleared his throat and asked the question that has been eating the inside of most of his colleagues "Sir … Considering the presence of a strong anti-apparition ward, how did you escape?"

"Well, I asked a friend for his aid … Fawkes!" as soon as Harry finished his call, the brilliant red phoenix appeared; and the whole room gasped in awe.

"Is it a … Phoenix, sir?" an auror asked while eyeing the majestic bird.

"Yes, Fawkes has been in the property of none other than Albus Dumbledore, my former mentor; and now he has become my aide and helped me out of pretty tight situations; now … Let's let him be, he needs recuperation" the brilliant phoenix disappeared in a swirl of fire that caused the aurors to flinch, and some of them muttered _'Brilliant'_ at the scene.

After Fawkes has disappeared, Harry's face turned serious as he addressed the aurors "Now, I want suggestions regarding the situation at hand"; everybody went into a state of deep thinking before Ron spoke up.

"I really don't know what to say, Harry; the whole ordeal is complicated; and with the ward still erected, I doubt you'll ever retrieve your belongings"

Harry pointed a finger at him "Which means that we need to take it down and erect one of our own, just in case" then he turned toward his favorite team leaders "Vanessa, Lee, and William; I believe that your teams possess the best conjurers in the whole battalion; you will be the ones responsible for the ward dispelling and re-erection with teams four, five, and six, will watch your backs while doing so. Also, I want the teams from seven through fifteen to search the whole city, including Brimstone Alley, for any death eater activities and report it to the headquarters immediately. Team sixteen will question the muggle professors at College of Science to pinpoint the exact layout of the EMPA, just make sure mot to attract so much attention to your selves"

An auror stood up and asked "What about the rest of the teams, sir?"

"The remaining teams, seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen, will be assigned with an important task, the guarding of the police station; we do not want the death eaters to hurt any more innocent muggles" he pulled out the handout he pocketed earlier, which appeared to be a quick layout of the precinct and the surrounding districts "Your guard posts will be here, here, and here …" he dotted three specific places "And your covering area will be overlapped with the ward …" he drew a circle around the precinct "And each other's" he drew a circle around each dot which overlapped as he mention "This will increase the effectiveness in preventing the death eaters from accessing the station; and it will prove to be more effective when an anti-apparition ward is applied around each area" he looked at the usual three "Which, unfortunately, will be your duty too, Vanessa, Lee, and William"

"We are ready for anything, sir" Lee said with evident enthusiasm; which Harry smile at. Ron, on the other hand, had anther matter in his mind.

"Say Harry …" Ron interjected "Why don't use Fawkes' apparition in retrieving your stuff? I reckon that he can pass any ward no matter how strong it is; he helped you out of prison after all"

"It's a good point Ron, but don't think I haven't given it a thought; I didn't utilize Fawkes' abilities for three main reasons. One, I don't know where they put my belongings in; which will be your task to find. Two; Fawkes' apparition is too noisy and messy to be used in covert missions, like the one at hand. Lastly, I consider Fawkes a secret weapon that must be utilized only when needed, even though he appeared when he saved Hermione, they still cannot associate him with me"

After he finished his rather long instructions, Harry clapped his hands joyfully and stated "Well then … shall we make ourselves busy?"

------------------------------------

Hermione paced hastily into the ER aiming for the admission desk; "Excuse me" she called for the clerk "A police detective has been brought here along with his wife; he is my partner, and he has been shot on duty; where can I find him?"

"He has been admitted upstairs; but you can check up with the doctors here if you want" the desk clerk said half-mindedly as she was immersed in work. Hermione nodded in appreciation and walked further into the hall until she met Alicia.

"Excuse me … Doctor?" Hermione called; and Alicia turned to her "A police detective has been brought here directly from the police station along with his wife; his name is Pierce McLaden"

"McLaden? He has been admitted upstairs" Alicia answered, and Hermione nodded at her "I know, the desk clerk told me; but she didn't say a word about Lydia"

Alicia gloomed at the name mentioning "Well, I sadly say that she didn't make it"

Hermione's heart fell at the revelation "S-She's dead!"; Alicia nodded at her "We tried everything, but she was already dead when they brought her in"

Hermione stood silently while closing her eyes as she tried to control her emotions, and Alicia respected her silence; then she spoke to the female doctor "How about Pierce's condition?"

"He fine" Alicia replied quickly "In fact, he is being tended to by doctor Weasley right now. He's in ward 3A"

"Thank you" Hermione thanked her before going straight for the elevator hall; she reached the third floor and went straight to the nurse station there.

"Excuse me" she called a near nurse "I'm looking for a patient …"

"Sorry miss, visiting hours are over" the nurse said calmly; but Hermione looked at her stubbornly "He is not a regular patient, he is a police detective goes by the name of Pierce McLaden; I'm his partner"

"Pierce McLaden" the nurse scanned the list of admitted patients "Sorry, he is newly admitted; thus, his visiting is not yet allowed"

"Can I speak with the MD in charge of his case? She is Doctor Ginevra Weasley"

"I'm here Hermione" Ginny called for her from the end of the hall "It is okay Melissa, I'll take her"

Hermione paced toward Ginny, and found that she was holding Sherry who was sleeping peacefully on her shoulder "Ginny, thanks; how is Pierce?"

"He is sleeping now; he couldn't bear it when I told him about Lydia's passing, so I had to sedate him" Ginny replied sadly, and Hermione felt her heart choke again.

"On of your colleagues told me about her" she said with equal sadness "I-I felt helpless when she was hit with that green beam"

Ginny's eyes widened at Hermione's last words "Green beam! Have you seen who shot it, Hermione?"

"Yes" her sadness now turned into sheer rage "None other than our so-called investigator … Harry Potter"

"Impossible" Ginny said rather loudly which caused Sherry to wince in her sleep; she cuddled her softly before speaking again in a low tone "Impossible Hermione; it cannot be Harry"

"Don't start it you too; I barely endured Ron's quarrel so start another one on the same subject. If you want to know why I insist on my stand, then you have to know that I saw him with my own eyes"

"But Hermione, I can't believe it; he …"

"He old me that he was going for England; but appearantly, he lied. It was part of his grand plan" Hermione said stubbornly as her fist began to shake violently "He told me that all his generous information was to lure me into his trap; he then shot Pierce with a strange red beam that caused him to shake violently before shooting that green beam at Lydia and me; and miraculously, I survived"

Ginny's eyes widened even more as he heard the ordeal her neighbor and friend gone through, and she recognized every spell she spoke of "He was hit with a red beam; then that explains his seizures"

"What explains what?" Hermione looked at her confusingly; and Ginny began to blurt excitedly forgetting that she is talking to a muggles "It is one of the death eaters' spe … Oops"

"You know the death eaters?" Hermione said in curiosity "How come?"

"Well, I worked with Ron and Harry against them for some time; in our private investigation club" she said as she thanked God that Ron told her about their cover up story.

"Then you should know that he has confessed to me that he was a death eater all along, you better watch out for him"

Ginny shook her head as she replied "Hermione, if you knew Harry Potter as I knew him, then you wouldn't have said those words"; Sherry cooed softly and Ginny looked at her in motherly way "I think our little angel is waking up"

Hermione smiled at the little thing and addressed Ginny calmly "Ginny, why don't you let my parents take care of her? You have a busy job here"

"It is not my decision to make Hermione; she is Pierce's daughter; and personally, I prefer that his daughter stay near him in the mean time, at least until he recover fully"

"Until then, I will wait for the warrant to hunt down Harry Potter" Hermione said firmly, and Ginny couldn't help but to pray silently for the quick reconciliation between her two best friends …

--------------------------------

"Sir, Auror Vanessa is calling via a muggle cellphone" Dick said to Harry; who was reviewing the case for the umpteenth time.

"Then bring it forth" he took the cellphone from the elite hacker; and pressed the call button "Yes, Vanessa"

"Sir, there is a problem" Vanessa's voice came out nervously.

'What is it?"

"The anti-apprition ward; we cannot bring it down. It seems that the magnetic field that surrounds it protects it from any meddling"

"Is that so? Then proceed with the second part of the plan; erect the wards around the guard posts. We will contact you when we come up with a solution"

"Roger, sir" Vanessa replied firmly before hanging up, Harry sighed irritable and throw his whole body at the sofa "From bad to worse; Flint has played it will this time"

"What is it, sir?" Dick asked as he noticed his superior's irritation.

"Apparently, the magnetic field around the ward sustains it and protects it from meddlers, like us"

"I can ask for help, sir" he said cautiously and Harry turned at him questionably "My mother is a muggle, ya' know; A Physics professor to be precise. I can ask her about a solution to this problem"

"Great" Harry beamed at him "Just don't mention the situation to her"

"Don't worry, sir" Dick nodded "She know that I work at the ministry, but she doesn't know my 'Exact' profession"

"Much better; carry on then" Harry waved at him "And Dick, I read your complaint about the lack of funding for your research; and as you said before, there is not any intention of increasing it. So, I took the liberty of stopping the ministry's funding …" Dick when into a stat of shock at the horror; but Harry smiled at him and continued "And began to privately fund your research; here …" he threw him a Gringotts vault key "This is the key to your funding vault; there is already three million galleons in it plus the interest which is about 7.5, use it wisely"

"Thank you, sir. I'll put it to good use" Dick couldn't contain himself from happiness; he only asked for a couple of grants from the ministry; but now he is being privately funded; and by whom? Harry Potter himself.

Harry knew what Dick is feeling right now; he experienced the same feeling when Dumbledore chose him as head boy; it was the warmth of trust that he felt; but at the memory of Dumbledore he felt a sting in his heart; "Well" he addressed his soldier "Carry on, then"

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"We are gathered here to mourn the passing of Lydia McLaden" the attending priest said slowly; and the attendees bowed their heads in respect "She was not a wife only, but a mother and a loyal friend …"

Pierce felt his heart sting as he gazed upon his wife's coffin; his admittance to the hospital has ended yesterday completing five days; but he didn't care about his own health, all what he cared for is to take his daughter away from the hospital as he grew overprotective of her. He shifted his sight right and his eyes settled on Ginny who was wearing a black dress and cuddling Sherry protectively; she gave him an assuring squeeze on the hand, which e returned graciously.

"… Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; Amen" the priest finished his speech, and the attendees began to move forward to pay their respect to Lydia. Pierce tried to get up, but the sheer pain he felt forced him down.

"Pierce, are you okay?" Ginny looked at him worriedly.

"Yes, don't worry Ginny" he said as he tried to get up again.

"You are still not fully healed; lean by my shoulder" she said as she leaned to him by herself; but he refused politely "Thanks for the offer Ginny, but I am too heavy for you; I might hurt you"

"Then let me help" Hermione said as she pushed toward them; and Pierce stood up by their aid not forgetting to thank God for having such good friends. They walked toward the coffin, and the people stepped aside for them.

When they reached the coffin; Pierce leaned at it began to speak weakly "Hiya there, Wife" he said in joyful sadness "I hope you have found peace right now because I didn't. One day, we will be united again; but until then I will be a good boy and behave mannerly"; but then his emotions took the best of him; and he began to tear "Why have you gone?" he said I a choked voice "It should've been me … It should've been me who is dead; not you. I am the detective dammit"

Hermione and Ginny couldn't control themselves at the sight of their broken friend, and they began to sob silently; "Lydia; I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have cursed. I just want you to know that I love you; and will love you until the end of my life"

Sherry began to laugh loudly, and Ginny gasped; he turned to them and asked slowly "What is it? Are you alright?"

"Yes" she said almost in a whisper "It's nothing, thank you"

"I'm done here; let's go home"

They all walked away from the coffin not noticed the pair of emerald green eyes that followed them; then shifted back at the coffin.

"Flint … Death is too good for you"

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Hermione reached her hotel after dropping Ginny and Pierce at his home; since the day he was discharged she insisted on taking care of him herself, it took a lot of convincing; but in the end Ron accepted, and she is now living at the McLadens and only dropping in to hand off Sherry before heading to work.

She reached her flat, but noticed that the light of the corridor is almost dim; but she was so tired to think of anything but her bed.

"Hermione …" a voice called softly out of nowhere; and she recognized it.

"Potter …" she called coldly, and he stepped out of the shadows "What are you doing here? Let me guess, you came to finish me off, isn't it?"

He never minded her sarcastic tone as he spoke slowly "I went to the cemetery today …"

"Why?" she snapped "Did you want to check out your deed? Or to collect a trophy?"

"Neither" he said firmly "I just wanted to pay my respects to Lydia"

"How polite of you" she said darkly "I never met such polite murders who pay their respects to their victims"

"Hermione" he pleaded "when will you believe that it wasn't me who did this?"

"When the image of you shooting that green beam at Lydia is taken out of my mind; which will not be. How can you lie to me? You said that you were going to England"

"I did …" he said defensively.

"No you did not; I haven't found a single ticket proves that you did. Why have you lied to me Harry? Why? I trusted you with my life" her face fell as she began to tremble as she whispered in a barely audible voice "... And my heart" ; and at that moment their gaze met.

She felt the warmth and calmness of his eyes, and she found neither malice nor malevolence which his eyes showed the night he attacked her. Her heart told her that it was the real Harry who is standing before her; but her mind said that she must be cautious; and as usual, she followed her mind and ignored her heart.

"Hermione" He said with in a gentle tone "Remember what I told you about the death eaters' favorite tactic; divide and conquer. They are using it not; don't let them destroy the alliance we've built"

"You already have Potter" she said gloomily "And next time I see you; I will shoot you down. Now, please leave …"

Harry gazed upon her firmly "Then Flint has won"

"Please …" she said almost in a whisper turning her back on him.

"Alright; sorry for disturbing you. Goodbye … Detective Granger" he said dryly before stepping away from her.

She turned to him in pure apprehension "Harry, wai- ..." she cut her sentence as he was there no more.

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A/N:_** Another chapter has been finished, and the story itself is drawing to a closure. Will, not the story but Part One to be precise. Also, I want to inform you, my dear reviewers and readers, that I have finished writing the Auror Officers and Enlists ranks, and Auror chain of command I used in this story; and I will post it at the end of this Part. Seeya' next chapter. 

Raed & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.


	12. Interception

**_Disclaimer:_** I wish I was the one who owns Harry Potter; but Rowling beat me to it. At least I own some of the characters and the plot itself (Sigh).

A/N: In this chapter you will see- … Why should I spoil the fun, check it yourself; and don't forget that the contest for discovering (Who Is The Mole?) is still on. As usual I thank my dedicated reviewers, especially **_Gu61_**. And I want to thank you all because the hit list reached 4000 … Yippee. I wish that the reviews would reach the same milestone. Anyway, enough of the chit-chat and on with the chapter …

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**Interception**

Dan and Emma were watching some sort of movie when Hermione stepped into the apartment wearing a sad look; she mumbled her greeting and went straight to her bedroom. Her parents exchanged a worried look before Dan spoke.

"Something bad has happened; I can feel it" he said looking seriously at his wife.

"During the last five days she was in sheer rage and never wanted to speak her mind, but now she seems utterly broken" she said in a worried tone

"I think you should speak with her now; suppressing emotions will not do her any good; let hear steam off some of it"

"I doubt I can do anything; but it won't hurt to try" Emma said before standing up, and waling toward her daughter's room.

When she reached the room, she heard a muffled sobbing sound and her worries doubled; she hesitantly opened the door and she was greeted with the shocking image of her daughter lying on the bad, face down, and crying. The whole scene tore Emma's heart apart; she never saw her daughter in such vulnerable state; she knew her as a strong-willed woman who never let her emotions surface, but seeing her in this weak picture was too much for her to take.

"Hermione, what is it? Why are you crying?" Emma said hugging her daughter gently; Hermione hugged her back and her crying increased.

"W-Why did h-he do that to me? W-What have I ever done to him? I-I was beginning to trust h-him and he reward me w-with that?" Hermione said between sobs, and her mother comforted her.

"Shh, shh ; it's alright; don't talk, just cry and release what's inside you" she hugged her for full ten minutes until her cry subsided, and was replaced by silent sobs.

"Now, tell me what's troubling you" Emma asked her calmly, and Hermione began to speak uninterrupted; she told her mother about the second assassination attempt that was carried out by Harry himself and his snide remarks then; she told her about Lydia's death and her miraculous survival; she then mentioned their catching of Harry inside the perimeter of the police station not forgetting to mention the odd items they have confiscated from him; she told her then about his queer escape; finally, she mentioned her recent encounter with him at the door of her apartment; and his polite persuasion, and his furious departure.

Emma listened to every word her daughter said; she was stunned and couldn't make something out of it because it seems to be so … controversial. First he saves her, and then he tries to kill her. Now, he addressed her politely after his snide remarks five days ago. If she didn't know it is real life she would've thought that it was the story of doctor Gickle and Mr. Hyde; his acts are totally opposing each other.

"Hermione, I- … It is truly horrible; I never thought that Harry could be an assassin" she said in a shock; Hermione smiled dimly and replied "That makes us two; I know how you feel mum, same as I did that night" then sadness hovered over her face again "I-I thought he was different from the other, I felt it; and he seemed so intent in finding what he wants; he even helped me with information I never even dreamed of., the exact location of the criminals; but then, in that ominous night, he told me that all that help he gave to me was only to catch me off-guard ……… Why? Why should I always suffer? Why can't I find someone I can trust?"

Hermione began to sob again, and her mother sat clueless beside her. She then hugged her gently and began to speak soothingly "Hermione, I'm really sorry for you; but I should urge you not to stand helpless. Life taught me that happiness always comes after suffering"

"But when?" Hermione exclaimed in mix of frustration and sob "When? I have suffered for long, and no hint of happiness has appeared yet"

"Happiness does not come to the lazy; you have to work on it yourself to gain it" her mother looked at her with a significant look "Which means that you have to carry on with you search of that Potter"

"But where should I start from? He left no trace when he escaped"

"He left more than one thing … Have you forgot his weaponry?" Emma replied calmly; and a glint of hope shined in Hermione's eyes.

"Yes mum; I can't think of life without your help"

"Just don't make a habit of it; you are a big girl yourself, and you can take care of yourself without the aid of an old woman like me" Emma and Hermione laughed together, before the former continued her statement "Now, I think you are tired because of all what happened; why don't you sleep a bit? I'll knock you up early in the morning"

"I think I will; thanks mum" Hermione kissed her mother on the cheek before going for the loo; Emma exited the bedroom and returned to the living room only to find her husband in a state of nervousness. When he saw her, he got up and asked her firmly.

"So" he said "Care to share?"

Emma stood silent for a second before replying "What I care for right now is that you should reconsider your judgment of people"

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"Hola"

"It's me" Our mystery caller answered with his usual remark; and waited for a minute before he heard the usual voice of his contact.

"Speak" the firm voice said as usual, and the caller swallowed hard before replying.

"It's that Potter; he mysteriously escaped from custody"

"WHAT?" the firm voice said madly "How can that be? And when did it happen?"

"Five days ago" the caller whispered hoarsely, ad he could hear the voice from the other side raging with madness

"FIVE DAYS?" the voice said enraged "Five days and you didn't care to tell me any earlier"

"I would've done that if you didn't keep me in the dark during the whole situation now taste your own medicine" the caller gained a little confidence because of his last statement; but it has evaporated quickly when the voice answered back with more confidence.

"Taste my own medicine, you say; how about I let you taste something else, like the punishment for treason, for instance"

The caller's heart fell to his feet, and he replied with a quivering voice "I'm a valuable contact, and you don't have any clue against me; you can't do this"

"Oh, you think so? Money can buy anyone, you know; and it was the reason you agreed on 'helping' with this matter after all" the voice said sarcastically "And don't talk about the lack of evidence, if you are thick enough by thinking that I wouldn't be recording our phone calls then it will be your problem" the voice added, and the called was about to faint.

"You wouldn't dare …" the caller retorted weakly, and the voice interrupted "Oh really! Just think of the reaction of your colleagues when they find that one of their own is an insider; and for whom? For Muerte, no less" the voice laughed darkly before adding "It's a situation I don't envy you on; but it will be pleasurable to witness nonetheless"

The caller felt the world spin, and he know that he was cornered; so he spoke in defeat "What do you want"

The voice got firm again when replying "I want you to aid Granger in her hunt for Potter; this muggle is so thick that she thought that she is chasing the right person; it will create a great diversion for our grand plan"

"Then?" the caller said as he felt that it was not everything.

"Nothing else; just help her until she fulfils our needs; then watch her when we get dispose of her … and her team"

The voice hanged up; and the caller stood there thinking about the pit he threw himself into it willingly; and wished if he could turn back the time …

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Three days have passed since the encounter between Harry and Hermione; and with Harry's forced hiding he felt like he was going to explode. He busied himself with remote intelligence, business reviews, and his brand new endurance training; Tatsuya originated a new series of training techniques that could up his skill and endurance to skyrocketing limits, they include the aura meditation for magical endurance, heavy weight push-ups and hanging stomach exercise for physical endurance, and a new sword fight style. Of course, he has lost his sword for the muggle police so he cannot practice the new style; but he couldn't stop thinking of what his sensei would say if he knew about the sword misplacement.

_'He would skin me alive?'_ Harry thought as he finished his push-up number two hundred, and Dick chose this moment to barge into Harry's office.

"Sir, I found it … Oh my God" Dick's jaw dropped when he saw the large rock on the back of his superior.

"Dick! Haven't I told you that I don't like to be interrupted during training?" Harry stated in annoyance as he levitated the rock off his back and conjured it off "Now, what brings you here? I hope it is good news"

"Definitely sir; I got the solution for that magnetic field; my mom sent these papers" he handed a bundle of papers he was holding to Harry "Which contains the exact operation method of the EMPA"

"Brilliant; but have you considered the option of magic incorporation?"

"Of course, sir; and I've run these patterns into a simulator, and it showed that magic has indeed been incorporated; but it was only for directing the magnetic waves not to alter it"

"Good catch" Harry said in sheer excitement "When can you remove this annoying field, then?"

Dick's face twisted in sorrow before answering "Unfortunately, I need to study the strength of the field first before trying to remove it; or else something bad might happen"

"Not another delay!" Harry exclaimed in frustration "What do you need now?"

"Nothing fancy, sir; just placing these sensors" he pulled out a small device and a sheet of paper out of his pocket, and handed them to Harry "The sensors will estimate the exact strength and charge of the field before emitting the counterwave; we need ten of them to be placed into these places" he unfolded the paper which shows the magnetic field along with some dots "These dots represent the weak points of the field, we need to place a sensor in each point; some of the are outside the precinct and some of them in"

"I will take care of the outdoor sensors; Ron and Sofia will take care of the rest"

Dick felt shock at the statement "But sir; you are wanted by the muggles. Why don't you send Vlad"

"No" Harry replied firmly "I will do it myself, it is my weaponry that is at stake after all"

"Roger sir; just give me some time to examine the devices thoroughly"

"How much time do you need?" Harry asked

"Thirty minutes, give or take"

"Well then, during that time I will drop by the hospital and meet Ginny"

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Ginny picked up her coat and handbag before closing her locker after finishing the night shift "Okay then …" she addressed her friend Alicia "See you tomorrow"

"OK, girlfriend" Alicia replied "Take care of prince charming for me"

Ginny rolled her eyes and muttered "Whatever …", then walkout out of the main doors. She tightened the coat around her body as a cold breeze blown up; she took only two steps before hearing someone calling her.

"Psst; Ginny" she turned around only to find Harry waving at her discretely from the alley entrance "Come here" he said to her and went deep into the alley; she hesitated in following him but then made up her mind and went into the alley with her hand tightened around her concealed wand; finally when she came near him and saw him up close, she was astonished by the tired look on his face.

"Harry, are you alright? What is happening? And what is all that rubbish about you murdering Lydia?"

"I'm fine, and I know that what you are hearing is all rubbish, but you cannot convince the muggle that it is so without exposing the magic involved"

"Why? What has happened?" Ginny asked in concern; and Harry sighed deeply before answering "I got framed by the death eaters"

"What! How?" she exclaimed in anxiety.

"It seems that it was either a metamorphmagus, or they have put their hands on some bits of me … and used a polyjuice potion"

"Polyjuice potion! Harry … Have you been careless lately?"

"No, but you can't expect me to walk around the magical alleys without anyone bumping into me. Anyway, I didn't come here to discuss this matter; I only wanted check upon you and to inform you that I will place additional ward to the hospital because the death eaters are getting bolder in their attacks" he completed his statement, and she could feel his body tense with anger.

"Whatever you say Harry; you are the head of the Order after all, and you know what is best for the situation down here" she said calmly, and then hugged him "Just don't let their acts affect your rational judgment"

He hugged her back and said with a trembled voice "I know, it's just that I-I hate it when they are targeting defenseless innocents; I can't help but to get angry"

She broke the hug and looked him in the eyes intently "It is because they are cowards, Harry; and cowards are always attacking those who are beneath them, and avoiding their equals and those who are stronger"

"I know; and that's why they have to be stopped; for the sake of the people, they need to be stopped immediately" he sighed deeply again, and looked at Ginny with a smile "I know that you are off now and you need to rest for some time, so don't let me stand in your way; I will place the wards and go on with some other business"

"Okay, if you need anything don't hesitate to call; I will be at the McLadens; I live there now so I can keep a close eye on Pierce and Sherry"

"Good thing" he nodded at her, and she waved goodbye before heading back to the street. She walked toward the bus stop as she always does when she want to visit her muggle friends; and she quickly became quite fond of their way of travel. It took her thirty minutes to reach the residential area and ten minutes of walking until she came to the McLadens'; when she reached the door she pulled out the keys from her handbag; since the funeral, Pierce's physical condition was constantly improving, but his emotional breakdown was healing slowly; he isolated himself from everybody, friends and colleagues, and if it wasn't for Ginny and Hermione's check up on the house he might starve to death.

"I'm home" she said as she entered, only to be greeted with the crawling Sherry who crawled out of her play room.

"Hello, little cutie" she picked her up and gave her a gentle hug "Let's go to your daddy, shall we?" she walked to Pierce's room and knocked the door gently.

"Whoever out there, don't enter?" Pierce shouted from behind the door in a dark tone that became a habit of his for the last three days. Ginny was expecting that, of course; but she didn't expecting it to last that long; she opened the door to the bed room and stepped in cautiously; it was dim inside but she can still make out the silhouette of Pierce setting on the bed. She reached out for the lights, and the whole room was bright.

"I told you not to enter" Pierce said with dark tone and a vacant stare. Ginny put down Sherry on the floor and walked slowly over to Pierce. She sat beside him and patted him on the back.

"Pierce … Please don't do that to your self" she pleaded weakly, and his body tensed "Do what! Destroy myself! If you didn't notice I am already ruined; my wife is dead, my family ties dissipated … I'm all ruined"

Ginny bit her lower lip to prevent herself from tearing "Pierce, please … Have you forgotten your vow in front of Lydia's coffin?" his breathing stopped when she reminded him of his vow; he looked at her questionably, and she lowered her stare "I will take Sherry for a stroll in the park; if you are feeling yourself all set then join us"

She picked up the giggling Sherry and walked out of the room felling Pierce's gaze upon her back; she didn't mind it and addressed Sherry gently "Now, let's dress you for an outing; let me check your nappy first"

She took her time changing Sherry's diapers and dressing her properly; and when she finished, she looked at the little beauty that was looking at her innocently "Alright lovely; time for our stroll … Upsy daisy" she picked up the little girl and put her on her shoulder facing back; then she felt her trying to reach something at her back, so she turned backwards only to be startled by the standing Pierce who was leaning comfortably at the door frame.

"Good Lord; Pierce … You startled me, when did you arrive here?"

He shrugged his shoulders and answered "A couple of minutes ago … You know, I never knew that you are good with the babies; Sherry has already developed a liking on you"

"Well, I took care of some here and there" she answered vaguely; ten tried to divert the conversation "So, what brings you here? Have you thought about what I've just told you?"

"Yes" he retorted quickly "And I realized how dishonest and self-centered I am; I never been a man to my word and I've totally been a washout; and I didn't affect myself only, but I also dragged all my friends along with me. Ginny, I'm sorry; do you accept my apology"

Ginny smiled at him "Of course, how can I not?"; he felt his heart lighten and his mood brighten "So" he said in his old cheerful way "Where are we going again?"

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"Bloody tiring" Harry mumbled and wiped his sweat as he finished erecting the last ward around the hospital "But now I can be more comfortable; that God that I can erect it from this remote alley, or many unwanted encountered would take place"

He pulled his coat collar up and dissapparated from the site to the apparition point near the HQ. He paced quickly toward the HQ itself. As soon as he entered through the main door, he jogged toward the intelligence hall and pushed the door open

"Sir" Dick exclaimed in excitement "Everything is ready"

"Good, now hand it to me" Harry extended his hand demanding, and dick handed him a small bag "This bag contains the devices, the operation manual, and the map for the planting locations; every device has been rigged with a timed disconjure spell that will be automatically activated after it finishes its function. I took my time adjusting the power and the duration of the counter-wave using newly developed bio-chipsets; I also added a concealment charm for every device"

Harry raised an eyebrow in amazement "I see that you didn't spare any expenses in utilizing the new funds"

Dick smiled but didn't replied; and Harry continued seriously "I will be on my way now; contact Ron and Sofia and tell them to meet me at the alley behind the police station immediately"

"Roger sir" Dick saluted his superior, and Harry stepped out of the HQ and quickly disapparated from the site. He appeared at the back alley and saw Ron and Sofia already waiting for him.

"God, have I been that slow!" Harry said in amazement.

"Actually, Dick contacted us before you even got to the headquarters, sir" Sofia said calmly; and Harry looked intrigued "Remind me to recommend you all for the next promotion"

Sofia smiled but didn't comment; and Harry continued "Now, let's get to work; I can't wait to get my weapons back"

Ron and Sofia exchanged a worried look, before Ron spoke "Harry … I have to tell you something; it is not good though …"; Harry looked at his best mate with concern, before the latter spoke up again "Hermione took off with your sword and wand"

"WHAT!" Harry yelled in fury; and shook Ron violently "Where the bloody did she go! And why didn't you stop her!"

Ron hardly freed himself from Harry's grasp and replied "I don't know; she said that she was in a hurry; and don't think that I didn't try to stop her, even Sofia here tried … But it was all in vain; and when we checked up for your weaponry in the evidence vault it was been taken by her"

If Harry's eyes were shooting daggers, both aurors would be cut in shred by now; he suppressed his rage in difficulty and spoke up again "No matter; at least it will give us more time to plant the devices properly …" and he pulled the operating manual "And to draw the scheme of the surveillance in the basement level"

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Sherry laughed excitedly as she shoveled the sand from the sandbox into her pink bucket; and Pierce smiled from his seat at his daughter's happiness "It's a long lost smile; how I missed it …" Ginny said as she walked toward him and handed him a cup of coffee.

"I'm just happy to see my daughter in the sun again; I was truly an idiot to dwell into endless grief" he closed his eyes, and she felt his buried grief trying to get out again "I know that grief will not bring my Lydia back again, and I now that I pulled you down into this senseless issue … I'm sorry"

"Oh, don't be; it is your right to feel sad; it was your wife after all, and you will be coldhearted if didn't; just don't let the grief control your life"

Pierce smiled at her "You speak like you have experienced the same issue" and he mentally cursed himself when he saw a sad look on her face.

"I did" she said weakly "I lost a brother and almost lost my father during an assassination attempt; I also lost my childhood friend for the death eaters … I-I just hate it; every time they appear I lose someone I care for …"

He saw the tears forming in her eyes, and he hugged her gently; she took the cue and began to cry in his chest "Why do the innocents always die?"; she kept crying for ten minutes, and Pierce hugged her more fiercely 'God, I never knew she suffered that much; my loss looks small beside hers'; her crying was now reduced to sobs; and her jasmine scent reached his nose and intoxicated him.

Finally, Ginny pulled herself away from him, and muttered weakly "I'm … I'm sorry; I just broke down a little bit"

"No need to be …" he looked at her straight in the eyes, and felt like he was drowning into them; he leaned slowly at her, and she did the same. Before any of them make another move Sherry's giggles brought them back to reality.

"Sorry …" muttered Pierce as he leaned back at the chair cursing himself silently 'What are you trying to do! You have just lost your wife, and she was broken down! I never knew that you are that low to take advantage of a collapsed lady'

"Pierce! Look!" Ginny's voice pulled him back to reality, and he looked at her in curiosity "Look!" she said again pointing at a direction; he looked at that direction and his eyes widened.

Sherry was in a near grassy area, but the most important thing is that she was standing … Yes, standing; a little shaky but nonetheless standing; she took her first unsteady step, and his heart glowed with happiness.

"Yes, darling; another one for your daddy" Ginny stood up extending her arms to urge Sherry for more steps; and the little girl completed a set of five steps before falling into the open arms of Ginny in a fit of laughter "That's my little sweetheart"

Pierce felt like life has smiled upon him again and looked in gratefulness at Ginny, who was holding his little girl; without her, he would've missed the first steps of his only daughter; which he would not trade for anything in the world. Then an idea hit him suddenly; and it was mad as hell.

---------------------------------

Hermione passed the front gates of Yoshiro's house; she tightened her hand on the plastic bag before ringing the doorbell and she heard a shuffling until a young Japanese woman opened the door "Yes" she asked cautiously.

"I'm Hermione Granger; Yoshiro told me that his grandfather returned yesterday, so I came to see him"

The woman's face brightened "Ah, yes; Akira told me that you will come; please … come in"; she guided her through the entry hall into the living room.

"Please, have a seat" the young woman ushered her toward a near seat before picking up a teapot and pouring her some green tea "I am Sanae Yoshiro by the way; I'm Akira's wife"

"Pleased to meet you, Sanae" Hermione greeted back "Is Yoshiro's grandfather here?"

"Last time I checked up he was asleep, but let me check again; please, make yourself at home" Sanae said as she walked out of the room

Hermione leaned back at the sofa scanning the room 'Modern American style; not bad' she sipped some tea 'Green tea; nice change. It has been a long time since I had a cup of English tea, though; when was that last time …' her heart stung as she remembered 'With Harry Potter'; she was pulled out of her thoughts when Sanae stepped in again "He's awake now; let me guide you to him"

They walked through the back garden and she saw a Japanese-style pool house at the end of the garden "He insisted that Akira change the design of the pool house to match the Japanese style; he cannot tolerate an American style room"

"I see" Hermione said absentmindedly; she was too immersed in her thoughts of the theories about the sword. When they reached the pool house Sanae ushered her toward the house "You can enter as he is expecting you; just don't forget to take off your shoes before entering, it's a Japanese tradition to do so; and I reckon you know your way back to the house. We can have a little chat over tea"

"Thank you, but I don't want to trouble you more than that; I will be on my way after I finish my business here" Hermione said sincerely.

"Whatever suites you, miss Granger-san" Sanae nodded politely before heading back to the house, leaving Hermione all alone in front of the Pool house door. She stood still for a minute before making up her mind and she knocked on the door.

"Come in" a firm voice came from inside; and Hermione slid the door slowly revealing the inside of the room. It was truly designed as a Japanese house, and for a second she thought herself in Japan. In the middle of the room, there was an aged Japanese man sitting on the ground with a teapot on a low oriental table in front of him.

"You must be detective Granger; welcome" the elder man said in a firm yet friendly tone.

"I presume that you are Yoshiro's grandfather" she said as she eyed the elder Japanese man.

"Yes, I am Genzo Yoshiro; the elder of Yoshiro family, and a historian too. Akira told me that you have obtained a Japanese katana that interested him"

"Yes; but first can you tell me anything about the Japanese swords" she said as she clutched the plastic bag tightly.

Genzo didn't change his setting stance as he picked up a cup pouring some green tea into it before handing it to Hermione "Well, Japanese swords are not one type; some are used for offense and some are used for defense; some are suitable for strong worriors, and the others are suitable swift attack; even the swords of the same type are different in size and shape …" he poured himself some tea before looking back at Hermione firmly "If you need me to help you, miss Granger, I need to have a look at the sword first"

She looked at him for a second before making up her mind "Very well …"

The cup fell off Genzo's hand as she unveiled the sword "Where did you get that?" he asks her in hoarse voice

"From a criminal" she answers casually; and he shook his head firmly "Impossible, no criminal can wield this sword … may I?" she handed him the sword, and he unsheathed it skillfully; his eyes caught a glimpse of the Japanese characters carved on the blade "It is indeed the phoenix sword; then the hero of the two worlds has appeared at last"

Hermione looked at him in utter confusion "Care to explain? Because I'm feeling a bit lost"; took a minute admiring the sword's craftsmanship before sheathing again and looking back at Hermione.

"I told you I'm a historian, Miss Granger; Japanese historians' job includes taking records of recent and old history, common folklores … and prophecies" he picked up his fallen cup and poured some tea "I loved my job, because it lets me encounter many interesting subjects; and some of these subjects may contain a bit of truth" he pointed up at the sword and continued "Like this sword"

"I still don't understand the relation" Hermione said with more confusion handing him her cup; and he poured her some tea before continuing "One day I was at the temple library reading some ancient scrolls; and I happen to stumble upon one which contains such intriguing information" he looked at her with a significant look "It was talking about a certain prophecy commonly known as 'The End Of The World' …"

"Not that hogwash again" Hermione said in irritation "If it's just another silly talk, I will …"

"My thoughts was just as you then …" he interrupted her firmly "But now you brought me the proof that the information I got was not 'silly'; it is this sword" he held the sword in front of her face.

"Didn't you take notice that you haven't told me anything about the sword yet? I'm beginning to suspect that you have anything to tell at all" she said in rudely, and he shot her a glare "I will come to this point if you didn't have the habit of interrupting me. Now, what I was saying is that when I found that scroll, I didn't gave it much of a thought; but due to that lack of any other interesting information I returned to it and read it thoroughly; and what it was containing was truly troubling" he said it in a tone that attracted Hermione's full attention "What does it say?" she said in interest

"Its words were written in Japanese poetry style, but I will translate it and simplify it for you. It says that the gates of hell will open, and evil will rule the earth for a decade burning and slaughtering and enslaving; no force on earth will match the armies of evil and their dark lord …" Hermione felt her heart grip at the grim picture "But then, when all is about to be lost, a hero will emerge; the wielder of the Phoenix Katana; the savior of the two worlds"

"Two worlds! What two worlds!" Hermione questioned in confusion; but Genzo answered with a shrug "I don't know; I'm only telling you what that scroll contained. Although I have given it a thought but didn't come up with any answer"

"You said that our world will descend to darkness…" Hermione said thinking "So it can be count as the one world; but the other world … Can it be the world this evil came through it?"

"May be …" Genzo said casually "But what is most importantly, is that this sword cannot be wielded by other than its original owner; who is no other that the Savior"

"But I told you it was found in the possession of a criminal …" she said stubbornly.

"And I am telling you that this sword is the Savior's sword" he picked up the sword firmly "But that doesn't mean it cannot be stolen … Or maybe that criminal isn't a criminal at all"

"Oh please" Hermione snapped "He killed an innocent and tried to kill me, and you say he isn't …" she stopped herself from completing the sentence and tried to calm herself down "I'm sorry, it's just that this subject is getting on my nerve. Can we talk about something else please?"

"As you wish; but I thought you wanted to know about the sword"

"Yes, so speak up about the sword please; I'm done with this argument. Can you tell me the origin of the sword so we can track down the true owner?"

Genzo looked at her for a second before picking up the sword and unsheathe it; he took his time studying its carvings "This crafting style is Okinawa style; and original too" he looked at her significantly "I told you that the swords are divided into types; attack, defense, strong and swift …"

"Yes" she replied confusingly

He leaned forward "This sword matches all types …"

"How come?" she asks interestingly; and he handed her the sword "You see this; these carvings are the fingerprint of the sword; each katana has its own fingerprint, much like the humans; and these fingerprints determine the main use of the katana"

She looked at him, then examined the sword "And this sword's fingerprint …"

"Matches all, as I said" he leaned forward again and pointed at several points "Look here, here, and here; this rippling is mainly used in offensive swords to ensure clean slicing; but the length of the sword shows that it can be used in defense; Offensive swords are much shorter that the defensive ones. Also, take note of the weight of the sword; it is light; very light for a normal Japanese sword, yet it is unbreakable"

"And why is that?"

"Because the steel used in forging the sword is a mixture of Japanese and European steel; which is truly remarkable" he took a sip from his cup "This Katana is suitable for a hero indeed …"

"As much as I like to praise your punctilious description; this information doesn't get me anywhere" Hermione said as her stubbornness returned "I still don't know much about the owner"

"On the contrary, it has told me much" Genzo retorted "From the style of the sword, you can know the character of the wielder; he is agile and strong, as the blade says; and he is experienced in many offensive and defensive styles. If I was you, I would look for a middle aged man; because it will take time for a person to learn such techniques; unless he has been training intensively since young age"

"I see; so our objective is simply a cocktail" Hermione said in a scornfully; and Gnezo shot her another glare.

"I would be more polite when I talk about a warrior like that; not many Japanese swordsmen have ever achieved such feat, and the only ones who ever achieved it were old"

Hermione felt ashamed at her attitude even though she couldn't take in the whole concept "Sorry; I shouldn't have ridiculed your knowledge"

Genzo's expressions soften as he replied "No problem; just learn not to think less of other people's cultures. And in the mean time I advise you to look for the owner of the sword and win him to your side; I wouldn't dare of crossing swords with him if I was you"

"I will keep that in mind" Hermione retorted quickly "Thank you for everything, Mr. Yoshiro; I will be on my way"; she thanked the elder man and walked out of the pool house toward the main. Upon her departure she bumped into Sanae, who was on her way to check upon them.

"Leaving so Soon?" Sanae asked with a smile.

"Yes; I got what I wanted, so no need to bother you anymore" retorted hermoine quickly.

"There was no bother" Sanae replied "In fact I hoped if we can have a cup of tea together"

"I'm afraid I can't; I have to run the data in the police station; may be other time"

"Okay then; say hi to Akira for me"

"Alright" Hermione shook hand with the young woman and walked out of the house.

-----------------------------------

"Alright, all set" said Harry as he finished setting the last sensor outside the police precinct; he got up and double checked his work before sighing in relieve "Time to check what the others did"; he pressed the call button on the invisible headphone, and a hologram of Ron appeared in front of him.

"Y-s Har-y?" Ron said as the static interrupted his call.

"What's happening, why are you breaking?"

"I d-n't kn-w, m-st be t-e ef-ect of th- ma-na-tic fie-d" Ron said as the static worsened.

Harry sighed in frustration "Like it is not enough. Anyway, I was just checking on your progress, but it looks like you have to brief me at the headquarters"

"Wh-t ev-r y-u s-y -arry …" and the call ended.

"Damn, one problem after another; how typical …" Harry said in anger as he checked the sensor for the last time; and suddenly, his sixth sense shot up, and he turned around quickly …

"Freeze!" but not quickly enough as an FBI agent was pointing his gun at him.

"So, one of Johnson's henchmen has sneaked up on me, remarkable" Harry sneered at the agent not minding the gun pointed at him.

"Shut up Potter; you have no right to say anything" the agent yelled in anger.

"Oh really! What about your usual saying 'You have the right to remain silent', is it history now?" Harry stood confidently as he sneered at the agent.

"Just shut up …" the agent yelled at him, and then pressed the side of his headphone "This is Agent Wilson, come in" and he heard only static "This is Agent Wilson; anybody respond"; still no answer "Damn, where is everybody"; then suddenly, a loud screech came out of the headphone "Mother …" and forcibly removed the faulty headphone and got distracted for a second, Which was enough for Harry to take control …

"Sorry chap" he said as he leapt beside the dumbfounded agent "Nothing personal" he punched him squarely in the stomach causing him to lean in pain, then pushed his open palm into his chest "Just business … _Offendo_" the agent flew five meters before colliding with the wall and fainting; Harry then checked up the agent's vitals before calling on Ron.

"Ron, answer me"

"-arry; wh-t is –t, ma-e?" Ron said as the static shredded his sentence.

"I got an FBI agent down; I don't know where the bloody hell he came from; but he tried to arrest me and I resisted. Give him a fresh memory before calling for help"

"Ok-y, H-rry"

"I'm returning to headquarters now … Over and out" Harry said and glanced at the unconscious agent "Sorry, fellow; I know you are doing your job; but I need to do mine too" then he disapparated. Unfortunately, Hermione was near the police station at that time; and she took this very alley to reach the basement level quickly. She accidentally stumbled upon the broken body of the FBI agent, so she ran toward him.

"You there; are you okay?" she called him but he didn't answer; so she slapped him lightly on the face "Wake up!"

"Wha- … Ouch, I can't move" the agent woke up in pain; and Hermione looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him suspiciously; and he looked disoriented as he glanced at her.

"Where is here?" he asked back; but then it hit him "Yes, I remember … I was patrolling the entrance area, and heard a commotion coming from inside the alley, so I checked it up; and It was true; there was somebo-ouch …" a pain yell cut his statement; but Hermione who was hyper didn't let him be.

"Who? Who was it?" she urged him to resume, and he did "It was Potter …"

Hermione's eyes widened at the revelation "Potter!" she exclaimed "He came near the precinct; how bold" her eyebrows knitted "he is either foolish, or …" she tightened her grip around the plastic bag as the other option came to her.

"What? I don't understand … ouch" the agent said in pain as he fighting against a faint.

"Don't be …" she muttered before raising her voice "So ... Why didn't you detain him or at least call reinforcements?"

"I tried to call; but the headphone didn't work and screeched into my ear causing me to be distracted for a second, then …" he stopped talking and a confused look hovered over his face.

"What!" Hermione yelled in frustration "Don't stop now; tell me what happened"

"I don't remember" he said in confusion "I felt a sharp pain and then fell unconscious"

"Nothing! Can't you remember anything at all!" she urged him hoping for a slip of tongue from Harry.

"I do remember one thing …" the agent said as he squeezed his mind "Before I fall unconscious, I heard him yell one word … Offendo"

"Offendo!" Hermione looked at him in confusion "What does it mean?"; and he shared her the same confusion "I don't know. Now if you please I will faint …", and his head fell back.

"FBI … How tough" she muttered sarcastically while standing up "Wait here, I will bring you some help, tough guy"

"No need, we are here already …" she heard the voice of Ron and she turned around and saw him standing by the L-bend with the investigator Laura by his side; and he was wearing an irritable look on his face "Hermione, what are you doing here"

Hermione looked angry at him "You must praise me for being here at the moment, not to scold me; Potter was here for some reason and attacked this agent before fleeing somehow …"

"I know …" Ron interrupted her "We have received the agent's call; why do you think we are here, then?" then he remembered something "By the way; I think the entrance in the other side"

"I know; but I want to enter via the maintenance door" she said it coldly; and Ron looked at her scolding "Hermione; we are not allowed to exit via this door"

She exhaled in frustration as she replied "I know; but I want to return the evidence to the vault without Johnson's boys breathing down my neck. How do think I got it out of the station in the first place?"

Ron stood speechless looking at her with accusing eyes; and she rolled her eyes and continued "Look, Ron. I know that ignoring the rules is not good; but if I kept following the rules Johnson sets, than there would not be any progress in the case" then she gave him a significant look "And if I didn't smuggle out these, then I would not need to come into this alley, and I wouldn't have discovered him lying in here"

"Whatever …" Ron said indifferently "And what progress are you talking about"

"That … We will talk about in the office and AFTER I arrange my thoughts about it; I will tell you only one thing, he said he heard Potter shout 'Offendo' before falling unconscious" Hermione retorted, and then headed straight to the back entrance before the perplexed Ron can ask any further questions; she returned the evidence to the vault and went straight to her office. The first she did when she sat down is pouring down all her thoughts onto paper.

Information:

1- The sword found in Potter's possession is called the Phoenix sword.

2- It has been made in Okinawa, Japan.

3- It can be used for both offense and defense.

4- The true wielder of this sword (Who is yet to be known) is the savior of the world.

5- The wooden stick is still a mystery and its owner is unknown.

6- The phoenix carvings on the stick indicate that the two objects are related; so the owner of them is probably the same one.

7- Harry Potter has been sighted near the precinct, yet his intentions are still unknown.

8- The agent heard potter yell 'Offendo' before falling unconscious.

To Do List:

1- Search for the original owner of the sword.

2- Run a thorough examination on the wooden stick to unveil its true purpose.

3- Arrest Potter on sight (Warrant Obtained).

4- Discover Potter's reason for appearing near the precinct.

5- Look for the meaning of 'Offendo'.

She pushed the note aside as she finished writing, and turned on her computer "Let's begin with the easiest …"

--------------------------------------------

"Bloody hell, Ron; can you do something right for once?" Harry pounded his desk in anger as he yelled at his best mate.

"I didn't waste time wondering, if that what you mean" Ron retorted with equal anger "She simply entered the alley at the same minute you left the scene; and she told me that she took this detour to reach the evidence vault and return her 'borrowed' evidence; in other words, your wand and sword"

Harry looked in silent irritation at his friend and second in command before speaking "It's my fault then; is that what you are implying? I assume that he never said anything important"

"Wrong again" Ron said indifferently "He told her that you yelled 'Offendo' before he fell down; which I don't know what the bloody hell it means; care to tell me?"; Harry's jaw tensed as he heard the statement; and he fell back to his seat thinking deeply.

"I asked a question, didn't I?" Ron's voice pulled Harry back to reality; and he reassumed his angry expressions "None of your business"; Ron got angry at Harry's way of addressing him "I see that your anger got the best of you, Harry, which is not a good thing; call me if you cooled down. I brought you the scheme of the surveillance cameras in the basement floor as you requested"

Harry watched as Ron threw the map on the desk before walking out of the office in anger, and then went into deep thought. He never encountered a person that got him into such difficulties since the days of Voldemort, but this muggle detective has proved to be so witted and stubborn; but he has to forgive her though, because he knows that she has been 'misdirected'. Nevertheless, he needs to regain her trust somehow; the main problem is that he has been framed deeply to the point of no return, and only a miracle will restore the relations to its former strength.

He shook his head irritably "First I need to clear my mind and wait until the time is up for weapon collection, and only training will do so" he said as he glanced at the horizontal pole; so he jumped up and hanged himself upside down by his legs, and began stretching …

-------------------------------

"Two hours, and no bloody thing" Hermione muttered in frustration as she shut her computer down "So much for an easy task"; she pulled the surveillance photo of Harry, the only photo they found; and placed it in front of her "What are you doing now, Potter; tell me so I can stop you and put you out of your misery"; she looked deeply into his emerald green eyes; those eyes that showed warmth and caring, those deceitful eyes; how much she liked them, and how much she hates them now.

"I somewhat liked you, you know that?" she spoke to the picture "And you threw that in my face; I will not feel any comfort until I see you behind the bar"; she kept staring at the photo for some time, then the phone ringing startled her; she picked up the speaker and yelled "Bloody yes"

"Detective Granger … This is Yoshiro from the lab" the quivering voice of the lab specialist came out of the speaker.

"Sorry Yoshiro; I'm not in the mood right now"

"But detective; I think we found a match in the handwritings"

Hermione never answered but paced quickly to the elevator and to the lab "Yes Yoshiro; what have you found"

Yoshiro looked at her in astonishment "You came so quickly. Anyway, I think there is a good match between two statements in the business letter and the file" he pointed at a sentence in the business letter "Look here" then pointed at a sentence in the file "And here, and observe the curves of the letters; much similar"

Hermione looked at both sentences, and noticed that the matching sentence in the file contains the words 'Perform Shock and Awe tactic' in it; and she remembered it was the same sentence Harry told her when he handed her the folder "Yes" she said "It s a match"

Yoshiro nodded "That's right. And by the way, I've read the folder, and I think that it has not been written by a thug, but a master tactician maybe; although the style is more like CIA's"

The statement hit Hermione in the mind _'Of course; that explains the lack of information about him; he must be working undercover for the CIA, or maybe the MI5. But that doesn't explain his murder attempt'_

"Detective Granger" Yoshiro said cautiously pulling her out of her thoughts "I think your cellphone is ringing"

She pulled out her phone and pressed the accept button "Yes"

"Hey girl; it's me" a familiar voice came out of the phone; and Hermione beamed with happiness "Pierce! How are you doing?"

"Very fine; thanks to a red haired angel called Ginny; by the way how is your investigation doing?"

"Not good" he said irritably "Every path I take is a dead end; but hey, we found a match in the handwritings"

"Cool; and I have a couple of good news; the first is that I hooked up with the police system and prepared the sting for our bouncer"

"Really, very good indeed; and the other news?"

Pierce's got exited as he spoke up "Sherry took her first steps …"

"What? That's really brilliant Pierce; I wish I was there to see it"

"Don't worry; wait for five days then I will come and bring her with me"

"You don't need to come, Pierce; you still haven't healed completely" Hermione said in concern.

"I have healed fully Hermione" Pierce said firmly "And I got bored of sitting with nothing to do"

"Whatever you say, Pierce; just don't stress yourself"

"You know me Herms … Ciao" Pierce hanged up, and Hermione looked at the phone absently.

"Well, I think I have nothing to do for now; home, wait for me"

-----------------------------------

Harry appeared at the dark corner of the evidence vault; the ward and the magnetic field finally came down and they could apparate to in and out of the precinct again. He stood silently for a minute trying to hear anything, but he heard nothing.

"Good … Now to action"; he waited until the surveillance camera turned left before pushing her wandlessly so it will permanently face upward; he then walked slowly toward the locker where his weapons are; he wandlessly unlocked the locker and sighed in relief when he saw his sword and wand in place "Finally, I got tired of wandless magic"; he pulled out a miniature wooden sword off his pocket and pointed his wand at it muttering "Engorgio"; and the sword enlarged he placed in the locker and closed it not forgetting to clean all fingerprints "Next step, headquarters"

He apparated back at the rally point and paced to the headquarters only to find Ron waiting for him.

"So, have you got it?" Ron asked anxiously, and Harry felt awkward because of the impoliteness he showed when talking to him earlier.

"Ron, can we talk at my office please?" Harry asked before walking toward the aforementioned room followed by confused Ron.

"What Harry?" Ron asked as they entered the office and Harry stood for a second before speaking "Ron, look; I am sorry at my attitude before; I just too angry to think and …"

Ron interrupted him calmly "Harry, please, do not apologize; I know about the whole situation; and I know that losing your weapons has caused you much irritation"

Harry felt gratitude toward his best mate "I will never forget your kindness, Ron"

"Oh, Harry" Ron said "What are friends for? I just want one thing" Harry looked at him in confusion "What is the spell you used to knock out the agent; Sofia checked the spell patterns, and it is not like anything we saw"

Harry thought for a second then answered "Well; what I'm going to say must not go beyond this room" Ron attention increased at the warning "Remember when I told you about my voyage to Japan; during that time I discovered a way to use magic in had-to-hand combat; and by the aid of sensei I developed a new type of magic spells, and I called it 'Close Quarter Magic'" Ron eyes widened at the revelation "Some of these spells are used via the sword, like the elemental spells; and some of them are used by bare hands or the whole body; and the spell I used today is of the latter category; it is called 'Offendo', the knockout spell; look at this"

Harry conjured a training manikin out of thin air "Watch closely … _Offendo_" the manikin flew backwards and shattered as it hit the wall; and Ron looked flabbergasted at the remains of it; then he looked at Harry "Harry, this is bloody brilliant"

"I know" Harry said smiling "And the best thing is that our enemy doesn't know about it; I can train you if you want"

"Really!" Ron said in excitement "I would be very grateful. What should I do?"

Harry looked at him from up to down "First you need to maintain a lightweight; in other words, stop eating a family meal"

Ron pouted "That I cannot do; I think I will stick with normal magic"

Harry laughed at his best friend "Whatever suites you; just remember that the offer is still open"

---------------------------------

Five days have passed with nothing significant except of Johnson's fury over the attack on his agent he vowed to hunt down Potter and bring him swift justice; and in his rage he authorized 'shoot-on-sight' for all his units. Hermione, on the other hand, was sitting in her office reviewing her notes on the Potter case when the door opened.

"Hiya, Miss Holmes" Pierce stepped into the office holding the wobbling Sherry in his hand.

"Hello; welcome back. Hello there, little angel" Hermione picked up the laughing child and gave her a kiss on the cheek "Pierce, you shouldn't have brought her here; she will get bored and tired"

"Nah, she is having so much fun pissing of the feds; she bit three of them so far"

Hermione laughed at the image and retorted "Like father like daughter, I must say"

"You said it" he said laughing, then assuming a serious face "So, how is the progress; I assume you never sat down idly?"

"You said it yourself; and the progress is very good so far, by comparing the signature at the end of the business letter with some of the checks that has been forwarded to the company; we found out the bank account of Harry Potter"

"Cool" Pierce eyes gleamed "I hope you asked for permission to freeze the son of a bitch account"

Hermione pouted "I asked, but the bank refused to do so; they said that his accounts are too much valuable for their business"

"You mean his account" Pierce corrected; and she shook her head "Not a single account; I found out that he has at least seventy accounts worldwide with no less that a billion dollar in each account"

"Seventy accounts" Pierce said with widened eyes "And a billion each; means …"

"Seventy billion at least" Hermione cut him; and they both fell silent with only Sherry's soft coos sounding, before Pierce spoke up "That means he got more than a mere funding source; he got a funding avalanche"

Hermione nodded at him "The problem is, we need to find him fast before he do anything harmful again" then she remembered something "Yes, let me show you what we have confiscated from Potter. Let's go to the evidence locker, shall we?" the group went to the evidence locker and Hermione walked to the evidence desk.

"Hello Walter; everything is okay today?" she greeted the overweighed officer.

"Yes, detective; who is that with you … Pierce; long time no see, man"

"Same here; I hope you don't mind that I brought my daughter in here; she won't tamper with any evidence, I swear" Pierce stated jokily; and Walter's body shook with laughter "No need to worry, Pierce; I just hope that the little princess won't catch cold in the freezing vault"

"Don't worry; she is strong like her dad" Pierce waved his hand and went after Hermione; she walked until she reached the intended locker and opened it.

"Let's see; you will love it so- … WHAT THE BLOODY! WALTER WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOING OUT! NAPPING!"

"What is it, detective?" Walter can jogging with concerned face; and Hermione bellowed at him "THE SWORD HAS BEEN REPLACED; ARE YOU BLIND NOT TO CHECK THE EVIDENCE BEFORE ACCEPTING IT!"

"B-But you were that last one who checked it; I swear; no body came after you" he jogged back toward his desk to make sure "Yes; you were the last"

"Then how?" Hermione retorted "I returned the same sword?"

"Hermione, relax; what's done is done"

"But …" she tried to argue; but dropped it and looked defeated "Let's go back" they returned back to their office leaving poor Walter to call for the investigator to check the vault. They reached the third floor only to face Johnson.

"Look who's here … And I was wondering where the stench was coming from"

"I told you to take a bath; but you don't listen to me" Pierce sneered smartly; and Hermione barely held her laughter as she saw the angry expressions on Johnson's face

"Very funny, McLaden; I see that you haven't lost your joker character after all; and what are you doing with that little brat you're holding?"

"This little brat is my baby if you didn't know; and I like to show off with my high quality offspring, so why don't you do the same; you are not a eunuch, are you?" Pierce questioned jeeringly; and Johnson walked ou in anger. The group then went into their office and Hermione sat on her desk with pierce in front of her.

"Now tell me" he said "What was that all about?"

She took a deep breath and spoke "That sword was in the possession of Potter when we caught him at the entrance of the station along with a wooden stick; the sword was an oriental one with the words 'Godric Gryffindor' and 'Phoenix Sword' engraved on its blade in English and Japanese respectively. I asked a specialist about the sword and he told me some information regarding it; I wrote it down here if you want to read it" she pushed the note to him "The most important thing is that when I returned, I found a fallen FBI agent deep in the alley behind the station; he told me that he was attacked by Potter and he heard him yelling 'Offendo' before falling unconscious"

"Offendo?" Pierce questioned in confusion; and she answered "It means 'shock' or 'knockout' in latin. Most importantly I just found out that the agented acquired multiple fractures, broken ribs, and a concussion from the attack; and he was not a lightweight …"

Pierce's eyes widened; before a troubled look hovered over his face "It looks like that Potter is not an easy target"

"I know; and he seems to know our move; which means that he got an insider among us" Hermione said in troubled voice; and Pierce stared at her with the same troubling look.

"What are we gonna do now?" he asked in concern, and Hermione replied "I think that the best thing we should do is to return to our homes and call it a day; after all we don't have anything to do" Pierce nodded in approval, and they both got to the police parking lot. They went into separate ways; and Hermione got into her car and assumed the driver seat.

"Hermione" she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind; she looked in the mirror only to find Harry looked at her with a firm look; she tried to reach her gun, but she felt an object pressed against the base of her neck.

"Don't move" Harry said warningly; and she froze. Then she dropped her hand beside her and muttered in anger "Okay; you won; kill me now"

Harry didn't change his stance as he spoke "I you know me better; you would not have said that. I am working with you, Hermione; not against you"

"From what I see; you can't be true. So, what brings you here if you are not going to kill me?"

"I'm here to tell you two things" he said casually "One, there is a snitch at your station …"

"We already know" Hermione interrupted "We know that you have a snitch among us be we still haven't exposed him"

"He is not working for me, Hermione; he is working for Flint" Harry said firmly "And I am trying to expose him myself because he was the one who helped in framing me"

She rolled her eyes and retorted "Whatever; but if you tried to hurt any more innocents, I swear that you will find yourself in hell in no time"

Harry didn't mind her threat as he continued "The second thing, is that we found how Flint is using the EMPA"

"The what!" Hermione asked in confusion; and he explained "An Electro-Magnetic Pulse Amplifier; it is a machine they use to knock out the power out of a city block; Flint is using it to disturb the wireless communications; I think you noticed that"

"Yes" she replied absentmindedly "The walky-talky was not functioning will; but I thought it I was just a malfunction"

"Well; it was not. I have one last advice for you, constant vigilance; Flint will try to attack you again just to hurt me; farewell"

"Wait, what does tha-" she turned around to talk to him; but he has left already; she literally jumped out of her car to catch him up; but there was no trace for him …

-------------------------------------------

Harry entered the headquarters and found Vlad and Dick in a deep argument "Hey; what is it?"

"We found Rookwood, sir" Vald said firmly, and Harry's eyes gleamed "Where did you find him?" he asked.

"In an abandoned ranch in the outskirts; there are three teams surrounding him already, and an anti-apparition ward is being erected by them; we are waiting for you signal to attack, sir"

"With all due respect sir; I think that we should wait until the death eaters try to capture him before attacking him openly"

"They will not capture him Dick" Harry retorted "They will kill him on sight in order to prevent us from gaining any Intel; but you are both right"

The aurors looked at him in confusion "How, sir?"

"We will spread a rumor of his whereabouts in Brimstone Alley; and the death eaters will take the bait and try to attack him; and when they do so, we move into action"

"That is a very clever plan, sir; I'm sure it will work" Dick stated.

"I hope so; in the mean time I want you to hack into the police system; Hermione and Pierce are at home right now; so you can check for information as you want"

"Very well sir" Dick said "By the way, sir; Fawkes has brought this …" he handed a parchment to Harry, who scanned it quickly and then smiled "Never mind it; carry on"

"Roger, sir" Dick saluted him and went straight to the intelligence hall. Harry then looked art Vlad and said "You will come with me Vlad to supervise the blockade of the ranch …

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Hermione kept turning in her bed as she couldn't sleep; she checked the clock and found out that it was still 6:00 pm; she trid to have a nap but Harry's words kept coming to her mind; she changed her clothes and went out of the apartment for some air. Then, an idea came to her; so she called Pierce.

"Yes" his sleepy voice came out of the speaker.

"Pierce you lazy bum; are you still asleep until now?" she scolded him

He yawned again before answering "When an infant is jumping over you while napping, how can you get much sleep?"

She giggled a little then assumed a serious voice "I want you to come to the precinct now"

"Now?" he asked in astonishment"

"Now" she answered firmly before hanging up; half an hour minutes later, she was at her office with Pierce in front of her.

"Now tell me, what is it?" Pierce asked firmly; and she ushered him casually to his computer "check the status of the hacking; or whatever you call it"

He did as she said, and found out that a hacking has occurred few hours before; he looked at her in amazement and asked her "How did you know?"

She shrugged her shoulders and answered "I just ad a hunch; I encountered Potter hours ago on my way out of the precinct; I couldn't detain him though, because he was fully armed. I thought that if the hacker was working for Potter, then he already knows that we are not here, and will try to hack in a bit early"

"Good catch, Miss Holmes" he said as he snapped his fingers "Now watch the Wizard in action"

He logged into the computer and opened a series of hacking programs; he then accessed the internet and the programs began to work "Now it's looking for the hacker's IP; short for internet protocol"

"Don't bother explaining; just do it" Hermione interrupted; and he pouted at her "You are no fun; okay then" his fingers worked their way on the keyboard; and he yelled in victory "I'm in; now what you want; I got only fifteen seconds"

"Try this folder" she pointed at a folder named 'Profiles'; and he opened it "Damn; I must've ripped a hidden alarm; this computer is too protected; time limit is down to five seconds"

"Quick, grab anything" Hermione urged him; and he picked up the very first file with the name leader after the download is completed he signed off.

Pierce sighed in relief "That was close; I don't think we will ever enter that computer again, or else we will be captured"

"I agree; now let's check that file" she said and he done so; when he opened the file their eyes widened in shock as the picture of Harry Potter appeared with full information about him.

_Name:_ Harry James Potter.

_Alias:_ The-Boy-Who-Lived; The-Savior.

_Nationality:_ English.

_Martial Status:_ Single.

_Physical Description:_ Unruly hair, strong jaw, emerald-green piercing eyes, athlete body, 6'0", 145 lbs.

_Occupation:_ Auror.

_Rank:_ Senior Auror; First Class.

_Current Assignment:_ Commander of US 1st Battalion.

Talents: DADA expert; wandless offensive; wandless defensive; hand-to-hand combat specialist.

_Reflex Pattern:_ 0.25 out of 1 second.

"Good Lord; I think we stumbled upon a treasure; didn't we Hermione? Hermione?" he called twice; but Hermione didn't answer; her eyes was fixed on the 'Alias' category; and she remembered something.

FLASHBACK

_"I thought it was just folklore; so that why he didn't tell me his name" she said as if she was speaking with herself, and then turned to Ron "Do you know the name of the boy._

_"No" he lied "But I can tell you that he is better known as … The-Boy-Who-Lived"_

END OF FLASHBACK

"It's him …" she muttered absentmindedly; and Pierce looked at her in confusion "What?"

"It's him; he is the orphaned boy" Hermione said; and began to retell the story Harry told her; in the end Pierce went into deep thought before speaking again.

"I think you are right; but something is not adding up; if he was the orphan whose parents got killed, then why would he kill the innocents?"

Hermione thought deeply, but got out with nothing in return "I don't know" she looked back at the screen "Look at the reflex pattern; does any human have such pattern; it is unbelievable; I personally haven't seen him in such speed even when he was supposedly saving me"

"Yeah" Pierce retorted "But then again; he must have a lot under his sleeve"; they both sat down reviewing the profile again and again; until they got tired.

"I think we won't get anything out of it; why don't we call it a day and return tomorrow and run a full search" Pierce suggested; and Hermione nodded "Okay"

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"So … Potter got you by surprise you say" Flint asked coldly staring at the quivering death eater.

"Yes, Master; as if he was already waiting for us there; one was killed and three were captured; I barely escaped" the death eater answered; and Flint looked at him with burning eyes.

"You better have never returned, failure … _Avada Kedavra infiniti_" a series of green rays of light shot out of his wand and hit the death eater squarely in the chest; his limp body hanged for a second before dropping like a ragged doll.

"Nott …" Flint called coldly; and the murky death eater appeared out of thin air "Yes Master"

"Potter is making fun of us; this is not tolerated; and we are about to launch the second phase of the EMPA" Flint stated distantly; and his right-hand bowed and asked "Your orders, master"

"Kill his muggle friends; kill them slowly and painfully; take as many men as you want"

"Aye, my lord" and Nott disapparated in a second.

-----------------------------------

Harry entered the HQ while laughing at a joke told by Vlad; and they were interrupted by the panting Dick "Sir" he said between gasps "Auror Weasley went to the McLadens sir; the alarm ward has been tripped. I tried to catch him but he was gone …"

Harry looked seriously at Vlad "Vlad, Rally the team leaders; the events are speeding up and I think that Flint is attacking our muggle friends now; our operation has angered him so much" the he looked distantly "And I feel that our mission is coming to a closure … Now go"

"Yes, sir" Vlad saluted him, and walked out of the HQ; then Harry turned to Dick addressing him "Dick; call Sofia and let her be ready here, at the headquarters; I think we will need her medic skill sooner or later. I will go and catch up on Ron"

"Yes, sir" Dick saluted his commander; who stepped out of the HQ in a hurry.

-----------------------------------------

"I'm home …" Pierce unlocked the door; he stepped in searching for Ginny and Sherry; but he found nobody "Weird; maybe they gone on a walk"

"McLaden …" a voice came out of the dim corner and startled Pierce; then Ron appeared from the corner, and Pierce sighed in relief "God; Wes, don't sneak up on me; where is Ginny and Sherry"

"I don't know; you can tell me, McLaden" Ron said coldly.

Pierce looked at him confusingly "Why are you so cold? And what's with the formal addressing?"

"Because I discovered that you are so low; I never thought that you would work against your friends. Tell me, how much do you earn from being such a dirty snitch?"

"Ron, what are you talking about?" Pierce said in utter confusion "I am not a snitch. My wife got killed by one, for God's sake"

Ron pulled out his wand at the same time Ginny got out of the next room "Ron! What are you doing?"

"You got nothing to do with it … Go inside" Ron snapped at her; and Pierce got angry "Now, Weasley; stop ill-treating my guests. Even if she is your sister, she is still my guest"

"Shut up!" Ron pushed him wandlessly against the wall; Ginny screamed and Pierce groaned in pain "I should've known" Pierce said in pain "You are one of them"

"Took you that long to figure it out" Ron sneered; and Ginny looked at him in disbelief "You are not Ron" she said "No, you are not him"

"Shut up woman!" he pointed his wand at her, but before he does anything a voice yelled "Expelliarmus"

Ron's wand flew out of his hand; he looked at the one who disarmed him; and his face paled "You …"

"Yes me …" Ron said "Or to be precise, the real me. Ginny, get inside" Ginny nodded and went inside; the imposter tried to move; but the real Ron pointed his wand at him warningly "Don't you dare"

At that time, Pierce regained his composure; and looked up at the new comer, and his jaw dropped "B-But, how?"

"It is me Pierce; this one is an imposter who was sent to kill you; much like they did to Harry" he pointed at the imposter

"Don't listen to him, Pierce; I'm the real one" the imposter said in a desperate move to regain his footing; and Pierce was lost between them; then something hit him "Only the true Ron knows my favorite prank"

The imposter paled again; and Ron's eyes gleamed as he looked at Pierce "Chili-Sandwich prank"

"Correct" Pierce said "Then you are my Wes" he slapped him on the back in joy; but that move was bad because it distracted him from the imposter; who took the cue and summoned back his wand and yelled "_Impedimenta_" and the spell hit Pierce in the chest sending him back.

Ron summoned a portego shield and yelled at Ginny who was in the room "GINNY! … RUN! … SAVE SHERRY!"

Ginny heard him; and picked up the sleeping Sherry; and at the same time a death eater appeared and shot a killing curse at her which she barely dodged; she then disapparated form the room; and apparated near the hospital. She ran toward the entrance and tried to enter; but a saddened force repelled her and she fell down; and Sherry began to cry "No; this is no time for a failing ward" she tried again; and same thing happened. By that time the death eater appeared behind her and shot another curse; and she dodged it again and began to run deep into the alley. After ran for a while she came to a dead-end; she stopped at her tracks panting and pulled out her wand while holding Sherry at the same time; and the death eater appeared at the end of the alley.

"You are mine now … Avad-Aaaaa" the death eater shrieked in pain as a tip of a sword appeared from the middle of his chest; and Harry's disillusionment charm went off.

"YOU are mine now …" Harry said as he pushed the death eater off his blade and sheathed it back. Then he turned to Ginny and said in concerned tone "Ginny, are you alright"

"Y-Yes, Harry; thank you for asking. I tried to enter the hospital but the ward kept pushing me; I think it is failing"

"Failing?" Harry thought for a second; then he felt a sharp pain overcome him and they heard the fallen death eater chuckling "You are too naïve; the plan is now complete; the muggle will die" then he died.

"No, Hermione" Harry said, then looked at Ginny "Ginny, I want you to return to the McLadens' Ron must've finished the death eater there; I have to run and save Hermione before it's too late"

"Okay; be careful, Harry" Ginny said before disapparating; and Harry followed …

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_**A/N:**_ Pheww; another chapter has finished, and the end is drawing near; I now, that it's another cliffhanger, but I can't help it; I like the style; next chapter will be late a bit because my job is getting heavier and nastier.

Read & Review Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


	13. Revelation

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters that are made by JK Rowling; but I own the plot and some new characters and spells.

_**A/N:**_ Alright; this is the _'moment of truth of truth'_ as they say; and I know that most of you, if not all, are waiting for this moment; the moment when Hermione knows that Harry is a wizard, and what a hard moment it is. First, I have to thank **_Dark Wolf of Teros_** for his review, and I also thank the other readers, especially the devoted ones. I know that I burned your nerve endings with my rather long speech; so, on with the chapter …

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**Revelation**

For the whole time during her drive to home, Hermione was contemplating on tonight's precious finding; she has never dreamed of putting her hand on such information regarding Harry Potter, yet most of it was still unclear _'Auror?' _she thought to herself_ 'Death Tracker? … What does it mean? I never heard of such occupation, but what I'm sure of is that he is indeed a leader; his gestures coincide with his profile, and he has showed such authority many times before his despicable assassination attempt; it was that time only when I didn't feel his authority; I wonder …'_ she sighed loudly _'It is really confusing, and that US 1st Battalion matter which I can't seem to fathom; is it part of those so-called death eaters? Or is he working for a foreign government? Or another opposing illegal organization? There is a lot in my 'to do' list tomorrow; Please God; help me in these hardships …'_

She reached her hotel block and parked her car in the parking lot; upon reaching her floor she felt that something was not in place _'Must be the dim light; I should inform the maintenance that this matter is not acceptable. Either they do their work properly or I will find another flat for lease'_ she pulled out her keys out of her pocket and pushed it into the keyhole; oddly enough, the door was already open …

"Hello … Mum, Dad" Hermione called as she cautiously stepped in; she only took few steps forward before hearing the door shut behind her.

"Good evening … Granger" a familiar voice hit her ears, and she turned around only to see Harry Potter looking at her pointing his wand directly. She quickly un-holstered her gun but he flicked his wand and it flew out of her hands into his "Now, now; that was not a wise move. You don't want me to get angry, do you?"

"What do you want, Potter? I told you I will shoot you on sight" Hermione questioned angrily, and he chuckled murkily "I missed you a lot, so I thought about dropping by; and your parents were really hospitable …"

Hermione's heart fell when he mentioned her parents; and she yelled at him "Where are my parents? What have you done to them?"

He smiled evilly as he answered "They are in the living room, and nothing has happened to them … Yet" he then pointed his wand at her and said dryly "Now … Move" They walked into the living room and she saw her parents at the corner with five death eaters pointing their wands at them.

"Hermione" her mother exclaimed in panic; and she was about to stand up and run toward her only daughter, but a death eater stepped forward and pointed his wand at her throat warningly "Don't move, muggle; or else …" the death eater said in a warning tone.

"Millicent, my dear; relax. They are as harmless as flobberworm" Harry said calmly yet in a dark tone; and Hermione looked at him in fury before walked toward her parents. She sighed in relief when she saw them in good shapes.

"Mum, Dad; are you okay?" she asked them in a concerned tone, and her mother hugged her tightly "Hermione, thank God; I thought he was going to kill you when he said he was going to wait for you by the door"

Her father grasped her shoulder "I don't know how the bloody did they come in here; it is as if they appeared out of thin air" he stated irritable, and the statement stirred a dormant thought in her head, but this wasn't the right time or place to discuss theories.

"Oh, such a warm reunion; I cannot hold back my tears anymore" Harry sneered as he wiped off fake tears; and Millicent said in impatient tone "Look; we have to finish the job before _HE_ comes; we have to kill them now"

"Millicent, dear; I told you not to worry; _HE_ does not know that we are here; so it is not harmless to have some fun; everyone put your wands back in your pockets; it is not a good thing to show off in front of our host" Harry said slyly as he eyed the panicked group, and the death eaters obeyed. Dan regained his bravery and stood up in front of him "I demand your leave immediately!"

Harry eyed him coldly "Return to your seat, muggle"; Dan got infuriated "What's with that epithet 'Muggle'?"

"It means commoner; impure; inferior; much like you are. Now, back to your seat or you will be harmed" he pointed his wand at him warningly; but Dan held his ground "Do not come here and threaten me with a piece of wood, son; I've encountered a lot of threats, but this one makes me laugh"

"Oh really! Do not underestimate the potential power f this piece of wood, muggle; and I would like to see how you will laugh after this … _Crucio_" Dan shrieked in pain and tumbled down as the curse hit him, he screamed loudly and his body convulsed violently "No" both women exclaimed at the same time; and Emma dropped to her knees crying "Please, stop; have you no mercy?"

"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed in fury as angry tears formed in her eyes; she couldn't stand watching her father being tortured inhumanely "I said stop it!" she rushed forward and courageously grasped Harry's wand arm and pulled it away from her father, and the torture stopped.

"Bitch!" Harry yelled in wrath as he slapped her on the face so hard which caused her lower lip to bleed; he then looked at her in fury, and an idea came to him "If you love your pitiful father that much, then it would be ironic if he was killed by your hands. Manson, why don't we test your Imperious curse?"

He stepped a few meters as the aforementioned death eater stepped forward and plled off his hood revealing a scarred and stuffed face; a sly grin was playing on his lips as he replied "As ye wish … _Imperio_" Hermione felt as if she was floating on the surface of water and calmness came over her; she heard Manson's voice commanding her "Now, muggle; pick up the gun in fron' o' you an' shot 'yer muggle father wit' it"; she picked up the gun which Harry has thrown it in front of her and pointed it at her father; she tried to pull the trigger, but her mind stopped her _'What are you doing, this is your father you are aiming your gun at; this is not right'_

"Why 'ave ye stopped, muggle; kill the ol' bastard" Manson shouted at her maliciously; and she turned toward him slowly "My father is not a bastard …" she said slowly "… And I will not kill him"

The group of death eater looked at her with utter astonishment; and Manson yelled at her "Shoot him"; and the sound of gunfire echoed across the room.

"Damn …" Manson muttered with wide eyes as blood seeped from a hole in the middle of his forehead before falling on the floor, dead. Harry eyed him in disbelief, before shooting an angry gaze at Hermione; whose was gun was releasing the post-firing smoke "You bitch!" he exclaimed in anger "You have signed your death sentence by this careless act; I wish you a painful death … _Avada Kedavra_"

The sickening green beam shot out of his wand and worked its way to Hermione; but out of a twirl of fire, Fawkes appeared in front of her and swallowed the whole beam before turning ablaze.

"Damn …" Harry muttered "Not that bloody bird again" as he ended his statement, the lights of the whole house began flashing, and the furniture began to rumble. The death eaters pulled out their wands and Millicent cried in panic "What's happening?"

Hermione heard Harry whispering "Potter …" before turning to his aide "Be on your guard; Potter is he-"

"_Stupefy_!"

The front doors crumbled and shards flew everywhere as a huge red stunner came sweeping across the entry pushing everything in its way and causing mayhem on its path, until it hit Harry squarely in the chest; he never had the chance to complete his sentence, let alone erecting the proper shield to block that gigantic stunner. He flew back and groaned hit the wall hard and fell unconscious; and the surrounding death eaters dropped off-balance because of the vacuum cause by the spell. As the dust settled down Hermione glance at the entrance to see who her savior was, and her jaw dropped as she saw him; he was Harry Potter …

"Two Harrys! H-How!" Hermione stuttered; but Harry ignored her stupor as he steppe into the hall pointing his wand at the remaining death eaters dangerously "Yield peacefully, and no harm will be done …" she can feel a surge of power struggling to come out of his body, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw the same commanding looks; yet, they were showing terrible rage.

Millicent let out a scornful laugh as she took the same pose, and the other death eaters followed "Never, Potter; we outnumber you and the place is too small to dodge curses"

"You can't be sure until you try Harry muttered slowly as the tip of his wand glowed. Millicent got angry and shouted at her companion death eaters "Kill him!"; they took the cue and both yelled in confidence "_Avada Kedavra_!"; Hermione's heart fell when she saw two jets of green light made their way toward Harry, but she was astounded as the two jets bounced of his chest not causing any harm to him.

"You idiots!" Millicent yelled at the death eaters "Have you forgotten that he is immune to the killing curse?"

"I thought you told us that no one can be immune to it?" a death eater exclaimed in annoyance; and the other death eater remarked "And I thought you told us that he is a mudblood and muggle-lover; which means he is inferior to us. He can never be stronger"

"I see that you are a bad tutor, Bulstrode; and they are still untrained at dueling" Harry sneered at them "So, let me help you a bit" as he ended his statement, his aura shot high to the ceiling and everybody gasped in awe, including Hermione who was experiencing the whole matter for the first time in her life.

"An aura! He got an aura, and you didn't tell us" one of the death eaters cried in fear; and another one said angrily "And you told us that he is inferior; how inferior is that?"; Bulstrode didn't mind answering them because she was astounded herself; It was the first time she saw Harry's aura up close, and it is so … intimidating. She made up her mind and shouted at them "Retreat … For now"

The death eaters didn't wait for her order as they were trying to flee the scene; but something kept pulling them down; and Harry smiled slyly at their fleeing attempts "How do you like my trap? First lesson, prepare the dueling grounds before you duel"

"Nonsense" Millicent said as her pig face paled "We didn't feel any ward upon our arrival"

"Because your arrival was the thing that triggered it" Harry retorted with a confident smile "Now for our second lesson. Hermione, if you please, get down so you won't get caught in the middle" Harry addressed Hermione while looking at her; and Millicent eyes gleamed and she exclaimed "Now, my turn … Expelliarmus"

Harry's wand flew out of his grasp, and she yelled in victory as she summoned the wand "I've done it, I disarmed Harry Potter. How do you think of that, boys?" she felt uncomfortable as nobody replied "boys?" she repeated again while turning toward them, and she saw three headless corpses lying in a pool of their blood "What the bloody …" she didn't complete her sentence as she felt a tip of a sword being placed under her chin; she followed the blade with her stare and her eyes fell on Harry who was grasping the sword skillfully and threateningly.

"Lesson number two; if your enemy lost his wand, it does not mean that he is defeated; constant vigilance" he said slowly as his emerald eyes was locked onto hers; and her she quivered with fear "You lied; you said that you placed an anti apparition ward"

He smiled slyly "Who said I apparated, I merely leaped to your side; and that brings up to the third lesson; which is …"

"… To count your enemies before you duel, Potter" he heard his own voice coming from the back; he looked around and saw the imposter standing at the corner of the hall were he has fallen unconscious.

"So, you regained your consciousness, deceiver" Harry said coldly "Yield and no harm will be done to your companion"

"As if I care about her" the imposter spat "And if you know me better, you would know that I prefer to see her in pain than yielding; which reminds me …" he glance at Hermione, who was dumbfounded by the whole ordeal "She hasn't tasted my ultimate torture yet; say goodbye to your muggle bitch, Potter … _Crucio_"

The dark red sparks shot out of the imposter's wand aiming for the fear-frozen Hermione; Harry, without thinking, jumped between her and the curse taking the full hit.

"No …" Hermione whispered as she saw Harry dropping to the ground with his sword beside him and his body convulsing violently with muffled pain groans coming out of his mouth.

"I did it" the imposter exclaimed in victory as his eyes gleamed in maliciousness "I got Auror Harry Potter under an unforgivable; how does it feel to be the victim, Potter?"

"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed "Leave Harry alone you-you Imposter"; the imposter looked at her slyly "So, you finally got it; too bad you are muggle. Don't worry, just wait until I finish off Potter and you will join him very soon"

"You … Should not … Underestimate … Me" Harry said slowly and painfully as his aura appeared again shrugging of the dark red sparks of the cruciatus curse; the sudden appearance of the aura pushed both Hermione and the imposter off balance. Harry stood up gritting his teeth in pain as the aura ebbed "I've been tortured by a people worse than you …"

"No body surpasses me in power; not even Flint" the imposter stood up and took few steps back with his wand pointed at Harry.

"Then you need on last lesson … _Offendo_" Hermione's eyes widened as she recognized the word; she saw Harry pushing his open palm into the imposter's chest and a white beam came out of it sending the imposter flying until he hit the wall. Harry then dropped to his knee in pain, and she paced toward him with quivering heart "Harry, are you alright?"

"Yes" he said almost in a whisper "Thank you for understanding the situation"

"No" she said shaking her head "I thank you for saving my live … Again" then they heard a commotion coming from the end of the room; and saw Millicent trying to flee beyond the ward borders "Harry, she is fleeing"

"No she is not" he summoned his wand and shouted "_Carpe retractum_" and a red thread appeared out of Harry's wand and swirled itself around millicent's neck; he then pulled her forcibly tossing toward the nearest wall causing her to collide violently and fall unconscious; he then conjured a rope and it magically tied Millicent and the imposter.

Hermione was dumbfounded for the umpteenth time when she saw the techniques Harry showed, one after another; even though in her mind she is still in debate about Harry, but deep in her heart she knew that it was him, the Harry she knew for a month until now.

"Let's check up your parents now" Harry's weakened voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she saw him walking slowly toward her father "Mr. Granger, can you hear me? … Daniel" he called him but he didn't answer "Must be unconscious" he hovered his wand over the fallen body, and the red sparks appeared.

"What was that?" Hermione questioned; and Harry gave her a significant look "He was hit with the same light I was hit with, right?"

"Yes; he was convulsing madly" as if Dan heard her, he entered another fit, and she looked at him in panic "No! Dad!"

"It is the aftereffect of the curse; hold him tightly" she did as she was told, and she saw Harry pulling a vial with a purple potion out of his coat pocket

"What is that thing?" she asked him in panic as he poured the content of the vial down her father's throat.

"It is a muscle relaxing potion; pretty handy in such situations"

"Like Valium?" she asked

"Same concept; but more effective" as he ended his sentence, Dan's body stopped convulsing proving the truth of his word "He is stable for now; but I need to take him to the hospital anyway"

"You need a doctor yourself, Harry" she said in a concerned voice as she noticed the bruises and wounds all over his face, arms and neck

He retorted dismissively "Don't worry about that now. First, we have to check upon your mother"

"Mum" she remembered that she didn't notice her mother during the whole ordeal; she was lying on the sofa near them. Harry walked to her and checked her vitals before sighing in relief "Just fainted" he flicked his wand muttering "_Enervate_" and she was awakened.

"Wha-What happened? Dan? Hermione?" she looked a bit disoriented before she noticed Harry beside her

"Get away from me" she yelled in panic and Harry, although he didn't anything, respected her request and walked away from her toward the imposter.

"Mum; it's alright. It was not Harry who attacked us; it was an imposter in disguise; this is the real Harry" Hermione soothed her mother; who was eyeing Harry and the imposter in disbelief "Two Harrys; I must be going mental"

Harry trying to enervate the imposter, but he was knocked out cold that he needed to perform the enervation twice for it work; finally, the imposter awaken and glared at Harry in sheer hate.

"Care to tell me who you are, if you please?" Harry asked casually; and the death eater spat at him "Sweet talk does not suite you, Potter"

"Then a dose of Veritaserum will do the trick" he forced the whole vial down the imposter's throat; who gulped the potion unwillingly. In a matter of seconds, the potion began to take effect.

"Now then" Harry stated "Are you a death eater?"

"Yes" the imposter said with a red face as he tried to fight the effects of the potion.

Harry smiled calmly "Of course, it's a silly question anyway. The most important one is … Who are you?"

The imposter tried to struggle off his ropes before he answered "Wait and see …" then he let a muffled cry as a surge of pain came over his whole body. Hermione, who was observing the interrogation from the beginning, averted her eyes from him in disgust as his skin began to waver violently. Finally, the effects of the polyjuice potion vanished, and the imposer was exposed …

"Theodore Nott …" Harry said coldly "Of course, who else would be sick enough to perform such gruesome deeds"

Nott laughed maliciously as he retorted "You mean exciting deeds; I never had so much fun in my life as I had in this night"

"You think torturing people is fun …" Harry said slowly; and Hermione shivered as the lights began to malfunction again, and the temperature dropped sharply "Then an immediate punishment is in order" he said as he levitated him wandlessly and motionlessly.

"What are you doing?" Nott questioned in panic as he saw the death glare on Harry's face; and he shrieked loudly as Harry pushed him magically toward the ceiling causing him to collide hardly "This is for killing Lydia …" then he descended him speedily and he hit the floor forcibly "And this is for Torturing Pierce and Dan …"; then he sent him flying toward the furthest wall hitting hard again "And this is for trying to kill Hermione …"; and lastly, he brought him back at high speed colliding him at the nearest wall, head first "And this is for having the nerve to impersonate me to cover your cruel deeds"

The merciless death eater fell unconscious due to the consecutive wall bangs; but Harry addressed him nonetheless "You will continue your fun in the afterlife; when we serve you to the veil. But now you are regrettably needed for further interrogation" Harry remarked and summoned a vase from the corner of the room "I'm sorry, Hermione but I need this … _Portus_" the vase glowed in blue as the spell took effect "See you in the headquarters, Nott" he threw the vase at him and he disappeared in a second.

"Where did he go?" Hermione questioned in amazement as she was pulled out of her shock at what Harry just did.

"I sent him to the holding cells in the headquarters" he replied; then pressed the button of the invisible headphone. And Hermione gasped as the invisibility charm failed, and a green miniature hologram appeared in front of Harry.

"Yes, Sir" the man in the hologram addressed Harry respectably.

"Situation contained at the Grangers'; but they need a place to hide until all is finished. Prepare the guest room for them" Harry said in commanding tone.

"Roger, sir"

"Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode have been caught and three other death eaters has been eliminated"

"Actually they were four" Hermione said cautiously, and Harry looked at her questionably "I killed one when he was trying to manipulate me into killing my own father"

Harry looked at her in amazement as he resumed his command "Make them four eliminated, Dick. Send Phoenix Five in her to collect Bulstrode and the dead body for identification as I already sent Nott to the holding cells in the main headquarters; and do not forget to inform the ministry about the update in the wanted list"

"Roger, Sir"

"Over and out" Harry ended the call then turned toward Hermione "Now, Hermione, you and Mrs. Granger need to be transferred to safety … Fawkes"

Hermione winced as the regal bird appeared from under his ashes and flew to Harry's shoulder "How are you doing? I need you to transfer Hermione and her mother to the headquarters, and then you can repose for a while"

The enormous phoenix sang soundly then flew toward Hermione's shoulder, who startle at the bird's sudden movements "Don't worry" Harry said "You are in good hands; or I should say, talons"

"Wait; what about Dan?" Emma said in apparent panic "He's not dead, is he?"

"Don't worry Mum" Hermione replied He is just hurt; Harry will take him to the hospital"

"She is right, Mrs. Granger; for the time being, I only need you to worry about your own safety. Now, Fawkes … Go"

Fawkes obeyed his master, and in a twirl of fire they all disappeared, leaving Harry, Dan, and the rest alone in the apartment "Sorry Mr. Granger" Harry addressed the unconscious man "We need to wait for the Phoenix Team arrival"

--------------------------------------------

Hermione felt the room spin as the fire covered her and her mother; then, in a second, everything stopped and they found them selves in another room. It was a dim room with five beds; and she noticed the light coming from under the only door in the room, she opened the door slowly, and her eyes widened at what she saw.

There were no less than twenty people coming from and going into other rooms, and they were all dressed in strange dark uniforms; but she assumed they were military, or at least security force uniforms, judging from the variant insignias on their shoulders. They paid her no attention as they went on with their different businesses.

"Del Costa, Auror Potter ordered Phoenix Five to present at the Grangers' for body collection; the area is surrounded by a strong anti-apparition ward, so you should apparate at point Q6; and he said quickly, he needs to transfer a muggle casualty to St. Mungo's" a woman addressed a strong-muscled man who nodded at her "Alright, I'll call my team"

The walked out of the room; and Hermione stood confusingly by the door 'What the bloody was that, they look and act like an organized agency'

"Hermione; is see that you are fine" a familiar voice startled her; she looked at its direction and saw Ron staring at her, smiling; and he had a bondage surrounding his head.

"Ron! Don't tell me that you too are …"

"Right as always 'mione. I am working with Harry" he interrupted with the same smile, and then he looked inside the room and saw Emma sleeping on one of the beds "I see that your mother is okay, too; but where is your father?"

"He got hurt" she said in a sad tone "Harry said that he will take him to a hospital"

"If he is with Harry, then he is in good hands" then he looked at her in concern "Your lip I bleeding by the way"

She wiped the blood with her hand "It must be when the imposter sapped me; but you are the one whom I should ask about with that big bondage around your head. What happened?"

"Long story …" Ron said dismissively "But it's not the time for it; come on, everybody is waiting" he ushered her toward a near door which she entered; and she was welcomed by a sight she wouldn't imagine.

There were countless computers arranged along the wall with many monitors showing the police station in different angles; and with the humming of the machines she felt like she was in a computer company.

"Welcome to the intelligence room" Ron said to her; but she didn't hear him as she eyed Pierce talking with another man in uniform.

"Pierce!" she exclaimed; and he beamed as he saw her coming toward him.

"Hey Herms; so they got you here too. I was dead worried about you" he gave her a friendly hug, which she returned gratefully and she questioned "How did you get here? Don't tell me; you were targeted for assassination, too"

"Bullseye, Miss Holmes …" he remarked with his trademark grim "And thanks to Ron and Ginny here; I and my daughter were rescued. It looks like my whole family is now in a life-debt with the Weasleys"

"I hope your insurance can cover that debt, Pierce" Dick remarked jokily; and Hermione noticed him for the first time "I don't think we have ever met"

Dick noticed that he didn't introduced himself "How rude of me; my name Richard Howards; I'm the team's Intel specialist; you can call me Dick"

"By the way, he's our bouncer" Pierce stated with a smile; and Hermione gaped at him "You!"

Dick smiled in guilt "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused to you; I was just following orders and collecting mysterious unsolved cases; but that death eater took advantage of the situation and attacked you"

"Yeah; that Potter needs to be stopped immediately" Pierce commented seriously before smiling "And with the help of Wes boys, I think that this case can be solved easily"

Hermione looked perplexed at Pierce's remark; then she looked at the irritated Ron "You didn't tell him …"

"I was going to tell him; but I was waiting for the right moment to …" Ron said defensively; but Hermione interrupted him "I will tell him"

"Tell me what?" Pierce looked at them in concern; and Hermione placed her hand on his arm "Look, Pierce; you need to know who did save me; he is none other than …" but she didn't complete her sentence as the doors opened, and Harry stepped in.

"I see that we are all here; good" Harry stated calmly; and Pierce got enraged by the sight of the supposed murderer of his wife.

"What is he doing here?" Pierce un-holstered his gun and pointed it at Harry, who stood frozen midway toward them.

Hermione felt her body tensed at that point, and she shouted at her partner "Pierce! Stop it! He is innocent!"

"So was my wife …" Pierce retorted in anger "And now I got the chance to avenge her and you say 'Don't'? He is a murderer, Hermione" Pierce turned his full attention to his female partner, and Harry exploited the chance and summoned the gun from Pierce's hands toward his, disarming the raging detective.

Pierce was dumbfounded at the unusual happening "W-What happened?"

"Now we can talk in civil manner" Harry stated calmly, covering his pain bravely "Anger will not get you anywhere. In fact, it will blind you from the truth even if it was under your nose; like in this moment for instance. I came to tell you that I caught the true murderer of Lydia, please follow me"

The group followed him with Pierce still confused at what happened; and Harry remembered something "Ron, has Ginny returned to you? I told her to return to you after the death eater who was eliminated"

"Yes, Harry; I brought her along with Pierce and Sherry to here. She is sleeping with sherry at the second guest room; so stop worrying, mate" Ron said calmly to his commander and best friend; who sighed in relief "Good; no ropes are loose right now" then when they reached the detention hall, he pushed the door open and glanced at Pierce "After you …"

Pierce eyed him suspiciously before being pushed inside by Hermione, and he found himself in a dim hall with five small rooms at both sides; the rooms were glowing faintly in blue as if a spotlight was aimed directly at them. At the end of the hall, a huge double door can be seen.

"What is this place?" Pierce asked as he was captivated by the neat arrangement of the hall.

"This is the detention hall …" Harry said calmly; then pointed at the holding cells "Here you can find the holding cells where we hold the convicted criminals we catch; in other words, the death eaters"; he walked toward a specific cell "Which bring us back to the main subject. Meet Theodore Nott; your torturer …"

Pierce looked at Nott, who was glaring at them maliciously; then turned back at Harry with an angry look "What the hell are you talking about? This is NOT the one who tortured me and killed Lydia"

"Hmm, Lydia … I wish I didn't kill her so quickly; so I can enjoy seeing her in pain and suffering" Nott remarked murkily; and Pierce's eyes widened as he recognized the tone "You son of a … It IS him; I cannot forget that sick tone, you piece of … LET ME AT HIM!"

Pierce banged the cell door hard as he was trying to open it, but he was pulled back by Ron and Hermione; who were having a hard time retraining him. Harry raised his eye brows as he looked at Nott in amazement "It seems that the Veritaserum is still working though its supposed effective period has ended … Such a good batch"

"It is not the serum, Potter" Nott smiled in malevolence "I am not afraid of speaking my mind; unlike you … Filthy muggle lovers"

Harry looked at him coldly before replying "Then you can spare me the headache and tell me straight; where is Flint's hideout?"

"Good one, Potter" Nott remarked "But not good enough"

Harry looked at him for a minute "Then you will force me to resort to violent measures"

"Let me at him, Potter; I will show him who is the man" Pierce said as he was trying to free himself from the clutches of his partners.

"I will deal with him myself, Pierce; thanks for the offer. And I am afraid that nothing will be left of him for you to deal with after I finish with him" Harry shot a death glare at Nott. He snapped his fingers and a rope appeared out of thin air and wrapped itself around Nott.

"How did you do that?" Pierce said in stunned voice.

"All will be explained in the right time, Pierce; I promise you that. Now, follow me …" Harry said as he pulled Nott out of the cell and pushed him toward the interrogation chamber; as they entered the room; they noticed that it did not contain any furniture save a table and a couple of chairs.

"This is the interrogation chamber; as the name indicates, this is where we interrogate the detained death eaters; which I will do now …" Harry said and magically forced Nott to sit on one of the chairs; and he sat on the other one "Now … Speak, or else"

"In your dreams, Potter" Nott hissed as he tried to struggle out of the ropes; and Harry sighed "It is unfortunate that I cannot administer another dose of Veritaserum because you will be poisoned; but I still have something under my sleeve …" Harry locked his eyes onto Nott's and muttered "_Legilimens_ …"

Hermione looked in confusion at Harry and Nott as the latter began to shake and sweat; she leaned at Ron, who was observing the matter silently, and whispered "What is Harry doing? And why does that wanker shake?"

"Harry is trying to read Nott's mind; and he is shaking because, apparently, Harry is triggering off some 'unpleasant' memories" the he looked at her with a significant look "How do you think he got the hideout information out of that thug?"

Hermione's eye widened as she remembered a similar interrogation "So, he has read the mind of that thug; no wonder he was quivering"

By the time they finished their conversation, Harry was done with mind reading; he pulled out his wand and looked at the observing group "This will be a bit nasty, so I advice you to plug your ears" then he looked back at Nott "This will be painful, so don't deafen my ears … _Memoria Extratum_"

Hermione and Pierce quickly plugged their ears when a long, sharp scream came out of Nott as his memories were being extracted from him. When the process was finished, he fell back to his chair exhausted, and Harry looked at him coldly "You are now of no use to use; you will be transferred to the ministry official holding cells and will be tried for the series of crimes you have committed. I believe there is a notebookful of your deeds"

He returned him back to his cell, and ushered everybody out to the main hall; he then turned to Ron "Ron; call for the team leaders for an emergency meeting, we have to move fast so Flint wouldn't …"

"No you will not, sir" Sofia came from a nearby room wearing an irritable expression on her face "Your whole body has been bruised and injured, and as the team's medical specialist I insist that you should rest; you have to give your body a chance to recuperate"

"After the meeting, Sofia" Harry said in uneasiness "I really have to attended it"

"Not after I call the minister" Sofia said warningly "I bit he won't be happy that his high commander is neglecting his own health even if it was for the sake of the mission"

Harry frowned at the medic metamorphmagus, but then made up his mind "Ron; you attend the meeting at my place and inform dick to make a copy of the memories in here" he handed him his wand "Order Phoenix Ten, Eleven, and Twelve to place constant surveillance on Muerte's hideout; I want a full report on my desk by tomorrow evening" then he remembered something; and pulled the letter Dick gave him "Send this to Malfoy; it contains detailed information about the exploding curse. Tell him to review it properly and provide me with the proper application method"

"That's enough, sir; Auror Weasley can handle everything from that point forward" Sofia said as she pulled him toward his office; but he went on "And Ron; there is a memory I want Pierce to see; and don't forget to explain everything about our world to them"

"Everything?" Ron asked cautiously, and Harry looked at him significantly "Everything …" and then he walked into the office.

Ron then turned to Pierce and Hermione, who were feeling like they were in another world, and addressed them "I'm sorry but can you go and check on Ginny and Mrs. Granger and all of you gather in one room? I have to follow Harry's orders or he would skin me alive"

Both detectives nodded even though they didn't understand his purpose, and Pierce stated "Hermione can bring her mother; I will look for Ginny and check on Sherry at the same time. But … Ehh … Which way?" Ron smile and pointed at a near room; they split up and everyone went to his business. Hermione reached the room where she and her mother appeared in; she entered the room only to see her mother gazing upon the room in a strange manner.

"Mum" Hermione said cautiously, and Emma looked at her in relief "Hermione, thank God; I thought they separated you from me … I was afraid"

"Don't worry Mum, this is not a prison; I honestly don't know where is here, but I can assume that it is the safest place we ever can be. Now, let's go; everybody is waiting" Hermione replied as she pulled her mother up; they went to the room Ron has pointed for Pierce and walked in. upon their entry, they saw Pierce smiling brightly while speaking with Ginny, who was cuddling the sleeping Sherry motherly.

"Ginny! Thank God you are safe …" Hermione hugged her friend and neighbor "It's a good thing Ron was there"

"Yeah" Pierce retorted "It's a good thing for Sherry that Ginny was there; or else she would be dead" he shivered as an image of his daughter's dead body came to his mind "She would be too dead"

"Thank you for your nice remark, Pierce; but I told you I haven't done anything; if Harry wasn't there, I and Sherry would've been dead; he is the true hero, as always" Ginny replied with a smile, Pierce wasn't impressed with the statement over Harry, though, and he felt a little bit of jealousy overcome him; but before he can say anything, Ron entered.

"I hope you are feeling comfortable in here" Ron said as he felt the tension in the air.

"We are fine, thank you Ron; but can you hurry up and explain what the bloody is happening?" Hermione replied in impatience; Ron seated down; and everybody was sitting in front of him; and Ginny sat beside her brother.

"First, I want to assure you that we are humans; so don't go far with your 'Theories'" he looked at Hermione significantly; then continued "Now, what do you want to know?"

Pierce was the first to speak "We want to know what the hell is going on; what type of weaponry are you guys using; and the important thing, who the hell are you? We want the truth?" he asked his questions plainly; and didn't utter a word for a whole minute, and took his time organizing his thoughts before speaking "Well, I hope you are ready for the truth, because the truth doesn't always bring tranquility. We are humans as I told you; but not entirely normal humans, and we go by the name …"

"Wizards …" Hermione interrupted, and her mother and Pierce looked at her in confusion while Ron was amazed "It was magic all along, wasn't it?"

"How did you know" Ron asked with an amazed smile.

"Since the day we caught Harry and confiscated his 'wand', as you call it, I felt that this piece of wood is not normal; it cannot be a beam weapon; it contains no machinery, and today has proved me right; Latin incantations, waving, and different beams coming out of the wand, but what caused me to reconsider my theory is Harry's sword. Why does a magic user need an ordinary sword?"

"You can say that Harry is a bit different. Well …a lot different to be honest; he has been since the day of his birth he was different; his parents got killed by the most evil wizard of the century. He was sent to his aunt's house where he was abused and neglected; and he never knew about his parents' murder and about his magical heritage until the age of eleven; he also knew that since the day of his birth, he was enlisted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like all the wizards of his age; and it was where we met and became best friends and brothers. The school was directed by headmaster Albus Dumbledore; who was supervised by the education council in the Ministry of Magic. Of course, Dumbledore does not need any king supervision as he was unquestionably the greatest sorcerer in the world, even though Voldemort, who was the murderer of Harry's family, claims to be the one" Ron stopped for a second and glanced at his audience who we looking at him in a mixture of interest and disbelief; then continued "During the school we had our share of adventures, and we have encountered many situations, happy and sad; even at one point Harry discovered that he has a godfather and even met him. Sadly enough, this happy reunion did not last as he lost his godfather while he was defending him; and as if sorrow wasn't enough, he lost the headmaster, the last person he deemed as a father, and Harry was shattered; he felt like he was poison; anyone comes near him gets killed brutally. Since that day, Harry found himself in front of a crossroad; either he distance himself from everybody so no one else would die; or he train himself properly so that he can protect his loved ones" Ron looked at them significantly "Luckily for us, he chose to stay and fight; he immersed himself in aggressive training; and after school, he discovered that he was the wealthiest human in the world, owning limitless assets in many companies in the world; but that didn't change his plan as we both applied for the auror program, which is a combination of both law and military school. All aurors were bound to train hard for a limit; but Harry pushed himself beyond that limit and he was admired by his superiors before his colleagues; because he learned from them, then became one of them, then surpassed them. He was promoted to senior status in a very short time; and during that time Voldemort was at the peak of his power with no one able to stop him; and during that time, Harry's tactical mind has emerged"

He took a minute to regain his composure as he was himself excited by the story "He used his unlimited wealth and Wizard Bank, which is called Gringotts, to track down Voldemort's assets and funding sources and dried most of them; which enraged the dark wizard, but that was not all; Harry predicted every move Voldemort has made because he, alone, has faced him many times more than any other wizard, and miraculously survived each time; but this time Harry was not the clueless schoolwizard, he was a senior auror with unlimited funds and truly exceptional power, and everyone knew that sooner or later, Harry and Voldemort and the prophecy will be fulfilled; and that day has come, or should I say night; Voldemort was enraged beyond reason that a mere boy has escaped him for nearly twenty four years, and he wanted to finish his business with Harry as soon as possible. He and his death eaters appeared near a magical village; and was about to attack the villagers as a warning to us; but he didn't know that Harry was expecting such move and has prepared and ambush for him, and finally they met face-to-face. They dueled like no other wizards have; and the sheer power of the fight left all of us dumbfounded as no one ever knew that Harry has reached Voldemort's level of power; the fight has lasted for ten minutes only, and Harry destroyed his nemesis" Ron hushed up for a minute giving them time to get along with his narration "Harry told me after the fight that he wished that he was the one who's dead; he was feeling empty from the inside because he wanted to share the joy of victory with a close relative; but Voldemort has left him none. Deep down inside him, Harry felt that Voldemort was the one who won"

Ron stopped talking, and Hermione felt that this was not the end "What happened then?"

"Harry was granted an exceptional promotion to 'Senior Auror, First Class', which the dream of every auror in the office, and Harry was considered the youngest auror to get such promotion, and he was appointed the Director of Auror Office; but when I saw the look on his face, vacant and restless, I knew that he will make the most stupid move that he'll ever make; and he did it … he resigned from the job"

"What?" Pierce exclaimed in shock "Why would one do such thing?"

"I never knew why back then; but Harry's excuse was that he fulfilled the prophecy, so no one needs him anymore. He left the office and all England, and for a whole year no one has ever seen him; and during that year, Marcus Flint has emerged and assumed the leadership of the Neo-Death Eaters, and tracked down the senior ones so that none of them would dare to challenge him. It was a hard year for the office, and we wished for Harry's return because we were much in need of his tactical mind, and our wish has been granted. He has returned with the most determined look I ever seen him wearing; and he hindered many plans Flint has executed using new techniques and plans, including his most famous one 'Shock and Awe', the last strategy caused Flint to flee to America; and you know the rest"

Ron finished his speech and heard two silent sobs of Emma and Ginny, who couldn't bear hearing the story again. Pierce and Hermione looked at each other before saying in unison "Unbelievable …"

"I know" Ron replied "It is hard to believe at first; but when you think of reasonable; you can accept it"

Pierce thought thoroughly before saying "Wes … Can you explain the auror chain of command, because I didn't quite get it"

Ron rubbed didn't expect this kind of question "Our promotion ladder is quite old; maybe older than that of the muggles; but you can say that there are two separate ladders; the officers and the enlists"

"And you are …" Hermione asked.

"An officer of course" Ron replied "Senior Auror, Fifth Class; which is equal to the muggle rank Colonel"

They were shocked by the statement; then Hermione spoke "If you were a colonel, that makes Harry …"

"A general" Ron interrupted; and Hermione's eyes widened; while Pierce said nothing as his face paled.

"General? But he is too young, isn't he?" Hermione questioned.

"I told you it is an exceptional promotion" Ron answered "I know that muggle military doesn't allow it, but we are not bound to senseless rules. Anyone who deserves a promotion gets it, and who would be more deserving than Harry Potter?"

"Ron" Hermione said a bit annoyed "what's with the 'muggle'? I hated it when that murderer used it; so why are you using it?"

"I'm sorry 'mione" Ron looked at her apologetically "Muggle is the name we use for non-magic folk; but some wizards use it offensively; like Nott, for example" he then tried to revert the conversation by addressing Pierce, who was silent for quite some time "Pierce, why haven't you said a word?"

"I threatened … A general" Pierce said slowly as his face paled even more; and Ron chuckled at him "Don't worry mate; Harry understands your that motive was grief. Who would understand the grief of the others better that him?" then he nodded at them "Now I beg your pardon, I have many matters to attended to; please make yourselves at home" then he walked out of the room.

In the middle of the main hall Ron heard a door opens behind him; he looked back and saw Hermione with an undecided look upon her face "Yes, Hermione?"

She looked at him undecided, before speaking "There was a bird, a red bird; it appeared out of nowhere"

"That was Fawkes; Harry's Phoenix" Ron answered "Harry trusted him with your own protection; but I didn't know that he appeared before you"

"He didn't just appear; he appeared out of flames; and swallowed that death curse you told me about; and not once, but twice"

Ron raised his eyebrow and looked at her in amazement "You know, Fawkes is an intelligent bird; and if he sacrificed himself for you, that means he is thinking highly of you; and he sacrificed himself not once, but twice as you said; it means that you are someone special Hermione"

Hermione looked at Ron confusingly; who continued "Harry also is thinking highly of you; if he isn't, he wouldn't have rushed to your aid"

Last night's events passed before her eyes, and her body shivered when she reached the point where Harry has entered "The power he displayed today; it was … intimidating"

"Harry can go a bit too far sometimes; it happens when someone he cares about is in danger" Ron said calmly; and she looked at him blankly; then she asked him "Ron, can I ask you a favor?"

He looked at her in confusion "If I can do it, then yes"

"If all of this ended, can you tell me more about Harry?"

He looked at her with a sad smile "If all of this ended; I don't think you will need to know anything about him"

She looked at him in confusion, and he excused himself out of this no-end conversation "If you excuse me, Hermione; Harry has entrusted me with some 'assignments' as you heard before; I advise you to lie your head upon a pillow for some time" he walked into a nearby room leaving the confused detective alone. She returned to the guest room and found that her mother wasn't there.

"Where is mum?" she asked Pierce, who was sitting beside Ginny and playing with his now-awake daughter.

"She said that she is a bit overwhelmed with the information; and went back to your guest room for some sleep" Pierce replied "I, too, am overwhelmed"

"You are not the only one" Hermione said, then looked at Ginny "Ginny, why have you all lied to us?"

"We did not lie, Hermione …" Ginny retorted "We are not permitted to expose our world to non-magicals. But the latest events forced us to do so. I have to tell you one thing, though; this is the first time I have ever been to this place; it is strictly an auror headquarter, as Ron have said; and I'm but a humble healer"

"Healer?" Hermione retorted; and Ginny explained "Magical physician; but I think you are mind too burdened to be filled with more information"

"You are right on that" Hermione said with a tired tone "I think the best thing I should get now is to some sleep" she waved them 'goodbye' before going for the other guest room. She found that her mother was already fast asleep; she lied on the other bed in the room, and closed her eyes.

------------------------------------------

A death eater stormed Flint's office, and "Master, Nott has been …"

"Captured, I know …" Flint interrupted him calmly; and the death eater looked at his master in confusion "Master, How …"

"I know, because the second phase of EMPA is complete" he interrupted him again with a smile "The ultimate power is near; do not worry yourselves with the captured ones and proceed with the final phase of EMPA. Just be on your guard, Potter's forces will attack very soon"

"Aye, my lord" the death eater bowed to him before walking out of the room. Muerte, who witnessed the whole conversation, looked at Flint in confusion "What was that all about, Holmes?"

"Our plans are about to be complete; and we will gain power beyond imagination" Flint replied, and Muerte retorted sarcastically "You couldn't beat that Potter, and you talk about power?"

Flint didn't get angry at the druglord's remark and replied coolly "You will see, my Latin friend, you will see …"

---------------------------------------

For a whole hour she tried to sleep, but every time she close her eyes last night's events come to her mind; she saw faux Harry when he tortured her father, and when he tried to kill her; she felt the power of Harry's stunner when he blasted his through the flat; she saw his intensive aura that frightened her yet protected her at the same time; she saw … No … She could not see him when he moved in extraordinary speed and cleaved off the heads of three death eaters; yet she witnessed his skill in the sword by the way he held it; she remembered when he jumped in front of her taking the full blow of that sickening curse; she saw him shrugging of the pain and delivering a stunning blow to his doppelganger.

'He came, he saw, and he conquered' she thought to herself; then sighed grievously and muttered "You are so brave, Harry Potter; yet so confusing"

"You are awake" Hermione jumped at the sudden statement; and looked at the source of the sound only to see her mother, who has just awaken and looked at her with sleepy eyes.

"I was not asleep at the first place; I was thinking about last night's ordeal …"

"And Harry Potter" Emma interrupted slyly; and a blush crept to Hermione's cheeks, and she replied defensively "I should be; he was the one who saved us all"

"And that what makes it romantic" Emma retorted "Prince charming one his white horse comes and save his beloved princess"

"MUM! Stop teasing me" Hermione's face was beet red "Life is more complicated than a fairytale; and if you haven't been listening he is a wizard"

"And what if?" Emma said in a scolding tone "He is human, isn't he? He is young, brave; and by God he is a general. I bet many girls are drooling over him; and his … Magic? Think of at as a unique power"

"I know mum …" Hermione replied irritably "But what I think this is not the right time or place to discuss this matter"

Emma rolled her eyes "Whatever, you are just as stubborn as your father" then she remembered "Speaking of your father, when can we see him?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to ask Harry about it personally … Among other things" by the end of her statement she stood up, and walked out of the room. She looked left and right trying to guess where Harry's office is; but failed miserably. She haphazardly chose a door; but it led her to the intelligence room where she saw Dick and Sofia chatting.

"Yes, detective" Sofia questioned with a tone that sounded familiar to Hermione.

"I'm looking for Harry's room; I have some questions for him"

"He is resting right now; and I forbid you from disturbing him" Sofia said in defiance; and Hermione looked at her in fury.

"I want just to ask him about my father; not to wrestle him" Hermione snapped at the young auror.

"Whoa girls; no need for a catfight here" dick tried to calm them down; but all what he gained was a yell from both of them.

"Shut up" both women yelled at him at the same time; them Hermione looked at the female auror in confusion "You sound familiar to me; have we met before?"

"Of course … Detective Granger" Sofia retorted as she began to shape shift; and Hermione gasped as a familiar face appeared in front of her "Laura!"

"Yes, I'm Laura, the crime scene investigator you don't like" her face returned to its original features as she spoke "But in reality, I am Sofia Blanc; French member in the international auror team, and the medic and the espionage specialist of the team; I can shape shift my appearance which gives me unlimited choices of characters I can utilize in my missions"

"Great, is there another faux police officer I haven't met yet?" Hermione remarked

"Not that I know of from our team; but I bet there is at least one from the death eaters; and he is the one responsible form McLaden's wife murder" then she looked at her sternly "But this is no our concern right now; what purpose do you have for meeting our injured commander"

"I told you; it's about my father. He got injured and tortured last night, and Harry said that he will send him to the hospital. I just want to know when I can visit him … Please" Hermione pleaded, and the young auror looked at her stubbornly, before her face soften.

"Third room from the left" Sofia said with a smile "Just don't storm the room"

"Thank you; I am so grateful" Hermione said happily before storming out of the room; she counted three room on her left and entered the third on quietly, and she found herself inside an office.

It was a simple yet elegant office; with a paper-covered office, an overstuffed file cabinet, and an incomplete bookshelf. Fawkes was sleeping on a nearby bird stand; and sunlight can be seen coming in shyly through the blinds. She stepped in cautiously and looked around until she found Harry, who was sleeping peacefully on a nearby sofa; she walked toward him slowly until she stood nearly beside him, he was sleeping shirtless and was hugging his sheathed sword with dear life; and she can see that his lean but muscular body was covered with many minor to moderate bruises; and she assumed that it was from the torture he got; to her surprise, the bruises were dissolving one after another. She looked upon his face and she saw that it bears the most angelic expressions she ever saw

'How can a person bearing such handsome face be able kill anyone?' she thought to herself, then she blushed at her own thoughts. She leaned forward and was about to wake him up, but a birdsong made her flinch; she turned at the source and sighed with relief as it was none other than Fawkes. She turned her eyes back at Harry, and they fell upon a pair of dangerous green eyes, and she felt cold steel under her chin.

'Now, he can kill' she thought to herself as she swallowed hard; then spoke with a hoarse voice "Harry, it's me … Hermione"

Harry looked at her for a second before withdrawing his sword and apologizing calmly "Hermione, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have sneaked up on me, it is dangerous"

"Yes, I can clearly see it" she said with a sigh of relief "You are so fast, I didn't hear or see you move"

"Courtesy of sensei. Please, sit down" Harry replied with a smile, and ushered her to sit on a nearby sofa, and she did as told "Now, is there something you want to speak with me about"

"Yes" Hermione said in concern "My father …"

"He is alright" Harry interrupted her calmly "I have transferred him to a magical hospital, and placed four aurors for his protection; I also insisted that a healer consultant is assigned to tend to him. Rest assured Hermione, he is in good hands; you look after yourself. Speaking of injuries …" he looked at her in concern "what is this reddening on your face?"

"What reddening?" she asked puzzled; and he held her chin "This reddening …" he touched her cheek softly, and she felt her whole body froze "Who did this to you?"

She hardly regained her composure and spoke in a shake voice "The … The imposter slapped across the face"

"That low wanker …" Harry muttered angrily and his fist clenched, then his attention back at Hermione "Don't worry about him Hermione; he will get what he deserves"

"And what is it?" she asked cautiously.

"Death" Harry answered coldly; and Hermione felt her spine tense.

"I can't say that he doesn't deserve it" Hermione said slowly "But enough about him; I want to know who you really, Harry"

"Didn't Ron speak to you?" he asked wondering, and she shook her head "he did, but I want to know you better"

"As you wish" Harry said casually "But first let me accommodate you because this is the first time you've ever been to my office" he ended his statement with a hand wave, and two cups flew from the corner table toward him; he garbed them easily and conjured a butterbeer jug and pour her some, then offered the cup to her "Have some butterbeer"

"A what?" she asked as he picked up the cup.

"Butterbeer; it is similar to root beer, but more tasty and nutritious" he replied as he drank from his cup. She cautiously took a sip from hers, and she tasted something she never tasted before.

"It is really tasty" she said, and he smiled at her; then he spoke up "You said you wanted to know me better"

"Yes" she said eagerly.

"I am Harry Potter; Senior Auror, first Class, and high commander of US first battalion. I am on a mission to track down the death eaters and thwart any plans they have; this mission is considered international, and that's why you see my teams are consisted of multinational forces. Our plan was to help you in catching Muerte, and do it as discrete as possible; but it seems that an insider foiled our plans and casualties occurred"

"Enough about your mission, Harry; I know it already. I want to know YOU" Hermione insisted, and he looked at her irritably "My life is not your typical fairytale, Hermione. I lost my parents before I even know them; I lived in abuse and neglect; I nearly lost everyone I cared for; but in the end, I destroyed my tormentor. I am trying to live peacefully, but it seems that war machines don't have the luxury of resting"

Hermione didn't like that depict, but didn't argue; he then resumed the mission planning "We are now surveying Muerte's hideout; I hope that in the morning we will study the surveillance profile and plan our attack" I hate to be rude; but I would like to write my incidence report now or the minister will eat me alive" he said as he smiled at her "Then we will go and see your father …"

-------------------------------------------

Harry, Hermione, and Emma passed the gates of St. Mungo's by 10:00 AM; and the women were astounded by the organization and modernity of the place; every person was dressed either in pink or light blue clothes with matching robes.

"Welcome to St. Mungo's Hospital" Harry said casually, and he smiled as he saw the amazed expressions of his companions "This way" he guided them through the ramified corridors of the hospital, until they reached a tranquil corridor; and they stopped in front a well-guarded ward.

"The Granger family members are here to visit their householder" Harry addressed a stern-faced auror, who saluted his superior firmly before replying "I'm sorry, sir; but I have to check your badge first"

"Alright …" Harry pulled out his golden auror badge; and Hermione to a glance of it for the first time; it was an oval badge with elegant carving, but what was important is the five golden stars that glittered in the middle. The auror pulled out his wand and tapped the badge which glowed in blue before returning to normal. The auror holstered his wand back and opened the way "You can enter now, sir"

"I will not enter myself; they will enter and check upon him themselves" then he leaned at the auror and said "I hope that healer consultant has come"

"He said he is on the way" the auror answered firmly.

"Damn it" Harry muttered in anger "No worries, I will look for him myself. Just tell the aurors inside to give them some privacy"

"Will do, sir" the auror saluted firmly as he ushered the women to follow him "This way"

They entered the room; and found that it was rather large. They saw the bed in center and looked at the person who was sleeping in it … It was Daniel Granger.

"Dan"

"Dad"

Both women exclaimed, and Dan opened his eyes to see the source of commotion; then he smiled when he saw his family "Hi there; hank God you are alive"

"How are you feeling" Emma asked as she gave him a kiss and sat beside him.

"A bit sore; but better that before; yesterday I felt like I was pricked with a thousand needles; it was terrible"

"Don't worry dad; it will be over soon …" Hermione was about to tell him about Harry; but a grumpy looking healer burst into the room muttering angrily.

"First, that annoying hex maker; then I have to tend to a muggle. Who the hell brought him here in the first place?"

"I did" Harry said as he stepped into the ward; and Dan paled at his sight; the healer turned around and continue on babbling.

"Well, you know the policy … Bless my soul, it's Harry Potter; Mark Harman, chief consultant"

"Pleased to meet you" Harry said halfheartedly "Now that we made our acquaintance; I would like to know your excuse for not tending to this patient personally as I requested"

The healer stammered as he looked for an excuse "Well, I was dealing with that hex maker who has hexed himself accidentally and-"

"Hexes are to minor compared with this case" Harry said firmly "This patient has been hit with the cruciatus curse by a well-trained death eater and you neglected him?"

"I'm sorry; I will tend to him right away" the healer's face reddened as he went through the check-ups; he then mumbled something before walking out of the room.

"Well, I hope I haven't interrupted something" Harry said joyfully; and finally Dan spoke "What the bloody are you doing here?"

"Dan" Emma scolded.

"Dad, Harry was the one who saved us; the person who attacked s was an imposter" Hermione explained everything except about Harry being a wizard, and Dan's expressions softened.

"I think I owe you an apology, Harry; although that imposter's mask was too real"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other; before Hermione spoke calmly to her father "Dad, that was not a mask; that imposter used magic"

"Used what?" Dan questioned in confusion.

"Magic … He was a wizard; much like Harry"

Silence fell in the room as Dan stirred the new told information aggressively into his mind before smiling "I knew that you've something special within you; but magic … Wow, that is something beyond imagination"

Hermione replied excitedly "He is not just a wizard, dad; he is a general in the magic force that is called Auror Force"

"A general" Dan looked at him in amazement "You must've done quite outstanding deeds, young lad"

"Just a few things here and there" Harry said humbly; then he straightened up as he received a call. He pushed the 'Receive' button, and spoke firmly "Talk"

"They brought the surveillance reports back, sir" Dick spoke in excitement.

"Good; order a battle pensive and let them empty the scenes within it; then order them to continue on surveying" Harry commanded

"Roger, sir" Dick's hologram disappeared; and he looked back at the Grangers "I'm sorry, I would like to sit and chat, but there is a mission at hand"

"Don't worry about us, son; just do your thing and get rid of those bloody wankers" Dan replied in approval; and Hermione stood up "I am coming"

"Hermione, it will be a fierce fight, you might get hurt" Harry said in concern; and she shook her head "I don't care; I want to see Muerte's fall myself"

Dan chuckled weakly and spoke up "Don't try to argue with her, Harry; she has my stubbornness which you can't break up"

"I think you are right, sir" Harry said in defeat, then looked at her "Come along then"

"Right on, Harry" she said in excitement and walked beside him

"And Harry" Dan called him, and he turned around "Look after my daughter for me"

Harry smiled "This does not need to be requested, sir" then he walked out of the ward along with his friend detective.

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_**A/N:**_ How did you find this chapter? Intriguing, isn't it? The end of this part is tiptoeing nearer; just make sure you review the story, and I will be as happy as a fried egg … Wait, this is not the right expression; I think it is … Ahh, forget it …

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


	14. The Fox Den

_**Disclaimer:**_ Harry Potter and pertaining characters are the property of JK Rowling; I only own the plot and any unknown characters.

_**A/N:**_ I see that the previous chapter has been to your likings. Well, I hope this chapter is, too. The big fight is here; and Harry will finally face Flint in a fearsome duel. I thank all those who reviewed my story; and … On with the chapter.

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**The Fox Den**

The front doors of the HQ opened; and Harry and Hermione walked in quickly. They went directly to the intelligence hall where Dick was waiting for them.

"Sir, good thing you came; another one of your requests has been received" Dick said as he waved a folder "The detailed application of the exploding curse"

"Brilliant" Harry said with gleaming eyes; and Hermione looked at him in confusion "What is it Harry?"

"Something you will be astonished with …" he said vaguely and picked up the folders "Dick, I need you to floo Malfoy; I want to chat with him for a while; and Hermione …" he addressed his female companion "I'm sorry, but I have to review these files for a while, so make yourself at home"

"Don't worry about me, Harry" she said as she waved halfheartedly; because deep inside, curiosity was gnawing her. Harry followed her with her eyes as she exited the intelligence hall, then he turned back at Dick and commanded "Do it"; Dick nodded and opened the floo connection; and Malfoy's face appeared in the fire.

"Yes, Potter" The blonde professor said in his usual coldness, and Harry smiled at him "Long time no see Malfoy; how are you doing?"

"As busy as usual" he say in the same coolness "I assume that the folder has been delivered to you"

"Yes, thank you" Harry replied as he waved the aforementioned folder "And by the weight of it, I reckon that you took your time"

"Thanks to the details you stumbled upon; do you believe that the spell has been invented before the founding of Hogwarts; and it was not intended to be lethal"

"Really!" Harry's eyebrows intertwined "I wonder how Flint got it. Anyway, I called because I want to apologize for not attending Pansy's hearing, I hope everything went smoothly"

"It did" Malfoy replied "And my mother accepted her back so easily"

"Just your mother, Eh?" Harry said slyly; and a smile broke upon Malfoy's lips "Well, me also'

"I'm happy for her, and you too; she did not deserve to go through such ordeal" he stated

The blonde shrugged "Who said that life is fair?"

"You said it yourself" Harry retorted, and then looked at his watch "Well, I think that I will begin to review the folder now; and maybe try the spell for sometime"

"Okay, call me if you want anything; just do not slip up" Malfoy said before ending the floo call.

Harry looked at Dick and said "I hope that you didn't forget to order the battle pensive"

"I already did, sir; Vlad has got to collect it; but if you may sir, I have an idea to make it more practical" Dick replied, and Harry nodded at him to continue "Battle pensives are much similar to the normal ones in terms of storage; the main difference is in the size of the storage and the method of view; they store up to thousands of memories, and these memories are viewed as a miniature three dimensional hologram for all to see. The main problem is that it still depends on memories and do not give the up-to-date information about the battlefield, so it can blow the whole operation to waste" he pulled out a diagram of some surveillance device "My point is, we don't we modify the method of information feeding to the pensive; we use a muggle camera and connect it magically to the pensive, and voila; we have an up-to-date battle pensive"

Harry was amazed by the bright idea "That's a brilliant idea, Dick; I want you to modify the battle pensive as soon as Vlad brings it; and Dick" he smiled at him "The account is three million more"

"Thank you, sir" Dick smiled brightly and pulled out some cameras from a nearby drawer "I will prepare the cameras for constant surveillance; where do you want me to place them, sir?"

"Give the surveillance teams two cameras each, and tell them to place a concealment charm on them; we don't want to risk losing them for Flint or any nosy muggle"

"Right away, sir" Dick saluted his superior as usual and began his work.

------------------------------------------

"Hola"

"It's me …" our mysterious caller replied with his usual statement; and the phone shifted to the usual deep voice answered "Why are you calling now?"

"Granger and McLaden didn't come to work this morning; what have you done to them?" the caller questioned in apparent fury.

"I would've sad that it is non of your business, but I will answer anyway. They were targeted for elimination by my hitmen, but unfortunately, Potter has beat me to them"

"He killed them?" the caller exclaimed in shock.

"No, you idiot; he rescued them. Anyhow, I advice you to end this phone call; or else you might be exposed; not that I care or anything, but you might prove useful in the near future"

The caller was irritated by the remark, but he stated anyway "Names are not being said …"

"But voices are being heard, and recognized" the voice said in significant tone "Keep in mind that Granger might listen to the record of this call and recognize your voice; I would not envy you if that happened"

"Okay, Okay; I got the point" the caller said in annoyance "I will hang up now"

"Good …" the voice said before hanging up himself"

---------------------------------------------

"Hello … Earth to Hermione, can you read me?" Pierce shouted at his partner as he had enough of her state of absentmindedness during their friendly sitting; fortunately for him, she snapped out of it and looked at him apologetically "Sorry, Pierce; I think I got distracted a little bit"

"A little bit! You seemed like you are here but not here" he said sarcastically, and then nudged her in the side "Thinking of someone special, eh?"

She jumped at his nudge and shouted at hi "Don't do that, I don't like it. And yes, I am thinking about SOMETHING special; Harry has received a file about Muertes hide out; he must have sent some teams for constant surveillance"

"Really! I have to admit that he is a hard worker; at last someone surpassed the mighty A.I." Pierce retorted sarcastically "But what's eating you anyway?"

She changed her sitting stance as she answered "It is the other file that he received; it is about some magical spell called 'the exploding curse'; I saw his eyes gleam with triumph when he received it, but when I asked him about it and he didn't answer me and just told me that it is something that I will be astonished with"

"And I'm true to my word, Hermione …" they jumped as Harry's calm voice came from the room entrance.

"Harry! We didn't hear you enter; how long have you been here?" Hermione questioned.

"Long enough to here your complaint" he answered with a smile "And I'm here to explain all"

He sat down in front of the curious detectives and began to speak slowly "The file I received which is labeled 'The Exploding Curse' is the key to all the cases you couldn't solve; do you remember the shape of the victims in the recent unsolved cases, they appeared like if they exploded from the inside; in fact they did; this exploding spell insert itself into the object and explode from the inside destroying it violently, in our case the victim's body. If you want a closer picture, imagine a mini bunker buster missile that could insert itself into a human body; the effects are horrible"

A pregnant silent came upon the gathering party, before Hermione broke it "This is … Truly horrible; how can anyone invent something like this?"

"Believe it or not, it was meant to be an excavation and path-clearing spell; but lately it has been … Misused" Harry replied calmly "The second thing is rather interesting; it appears that the guarding patrols around Muerte's hideout are somewhat lighter than the ones around his thugs' hideouts; either his is getting careless, or Flint is concocting something nasty. For me, I pick the latter"

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked in concern.

"I think we have to delay our attack until midnight; until then, I will keep constant surveillance on the hideout in case anything new breaks out" Harry said as he stood up "I will check on Ginny"

"You're right; I will check on my daughter too" Pierce retorted excitedly as the trio went to the other guest room where Ginny was playing with Sherry.

"Oh, Harry; good to see you" Ginny said as she saw them coming "Have you checked the ward failure yet?"

He slapped his forehead lightly "Ah, good thing you reminded me; I already sent a team to check it out, and they reported that it is alright"

"That's odd; it should've let me pass, then" she said, and he looked at her intently before speaking "I have an idea; does anyone have a piece of candy? Any candy …"

"I have this" Pierce said and handed him a piece of strawberry candy; and Hermione looked at him with a sarcastic smile "Strawberry drop! I never knew that you are a candy lover"

"It's not for me; Sherry loves it very much" he replied, and Harry stated "Good, it will aid in the test. Ginny please hold Sherry firmly in front of the table" he said as he placed the piece of candy on the table, and as soon as Sherry saw it, she extended her arms in hope if reaching it, but Ginny's firm hold prevented her from her goal. She moaned in annoyance as she couldn't and extended her arms even more.

Harry glowered in disappointment as he extended his hand to reach the candy "I'm sorry; I think nothing will …" he didn't complete his sentence as the strawberry drop flew out of his hand into Sherry's; everybody looked at her speechlessly as she giggled in victory.

"What … On Earth … Did just happen?" Pierce questioned in stunned manner, and Harry smiled as he answered "Congratulations, Mr. McLaden; your daughter is a witch"

"A what?" Pierce exclaimed "But how? Neither me nor my wife are magicals"

"It is not necessary to be; most of the wizard community personnel are having one muggle parent at least, and that does no affect their ability negatively, in fact that increases their ability to maximum; on the other hand, children of pure bloods are often to be non-magicals, and we call them squibs"

"Well, she sure made me jump by her stunt" Pierce stated "But witch? How did that come to your mind?"

Harry straightened his glasses as he answered "Frankly, it didn't occur to me until the team I sent to check up the ward around the hospital reported no malfunctioning; then it hit me, Ginny tried to enter the hospital with Sherry in her arms, so maybe …"

As Harry ended his explanation, Ron stepped in and noticed the discomfort among the group "I think this is not the best time to walk in, am I right?"

"Not at all, Ron" Ginny said happily "We have just discovered that Sherry is a witch"

"Really! Then I think congratulations is in order" he patted pierce on the back, and he noticed his uneasiness "Hey, don't get stiff, it's a good thing; at least you won't get bothered with the house chores" Pierce chuckled at the comment and Ginny rolled her eyes muttering 'Men'

Harry smiled at them before addressing Ron "I think you came for something, Ron"

"Ah, yes …" Ron replied "Dick told e that the battle pensive is ready, and the surveillance teams have already placed the enchanted cameras"

"Good … Inform Vlad to rally all aurors by hour 1600, we are going to unleash our final assault by sunset"

"What about us?" Hermione, who was silent the whole time, questioned; and Harry replied calmly "I'm sorry, but this is auror business"

"We can help, Harry" Pierce said excitedly, and Hermione said in approval "Yes, at least to make amends for what we got you in"

Harry smiled at them as he replied "Your quick understanding is a sufficient amend; now please rest, you have suffered enough by that hands of those murderers; and now is the time of revenge ... My revenge"

Harry said the last words coldly causing the shiver to creep up Hermione's spine as she remembered what he has just done to the death eaters who tried to kill her; but she gathered enough bravery to state firmly "If you have forgotten, Potter; this is my case; and I will do anything in my power to complete it; including forcing you to help me with it"

Harry crossed his arms in front of his chest challengingly "And how will you do that?"

Hermione smiled slyly "Imagine the look on the FBI faces when they receive a folder containing all the information about Muerte's hideout …"

"You forgot that you don't have the folder" Harry said cautiously; and Hermione replied "It will be Pierce's job to pull it out of your computers; after all he succeeded in hacking into your system before" Pierce stood beside Hermione showing his support.

"Oh, oh; Checkmate" Ron remarked "You have to admit that she has cornered you, which is an impressive deed"

Harry looked at his best mate in irritation "Okay, since you 'approve' their participation, you will be responsible for their safety; and you will be commanding the secondary forces as I will lead the assault myself" then he glanced at him significantly "I think you have an order to fulfill"

"Yes, sir" Ron saluted him excitedly and walked out of the room; Harry then tried to regain his composure before addressing the group "I think we have one thing left before having some sleep; the exploding curse. Everyone, follow me" he addressed the group, then turned toward Ginny "Ginny, I think it is best not to bring Sherry along; thing might get pretty nasty for a child to experience"

They walked across the hall toward an isolated room; as Harry opened the door they saw that it was an empty room, and they noticed some human shaped manikins allotted along the far wall.

"This is the shooting range, where we train ourselves and practice the newly developed spells that we receive from the ministry's research laboratories" Harry stated, before pulling out his wand and summoning a manikin to a medium distance "Now you will witness the spell that caused us all the trouble … _Explodia_"

The reddish purple curse erupted out of Harry's wand and made its way toward the target; as soon as it touched the manikin, it exploded from the inside as if it was containing high explosives. Everybody ducked as the shard of the manikin flew everywhere.

"This … Is horrible" Pierce muttered almost in a whisper.

"I agree; it is the first time I ever saw it in action. Flint has chosen his spells well" he then turned toward his companions "That's all; rest for a while until the teams are rallied"

They all exited the room save Hermione who was glancing at the totaled manikin in apparent discomfort; Harry noticed her halt and turned to her in concern "Hermione, are you alright?"

She said with a vacant voice while look at the floor "It's just … I never thought I would encounter such terrible power, this magic. I saw Pierce get tortured by it, Lydia got killed by it, even my father was attacked with magic; I, myself, was manipulated into killing my own father" she raised her head and glancing at Harry with fearful glistening eyes "Harry, I'm afraid; what if that power found no boundaries? What will happen to the innocent people?"

Harry sighed as he found himself in the same helpless position of comforting a friend; he looked at her and answered with a soothing smile "This is where we, aurors, take the reins; it is our job to ensure the safety of the people. I'm sorry you had to face what you did, Hermione; but like many things, magic has two faces; one is ugly, and the other is marvelous …"

He waved his hand swiftly, and Hermione gasped in awe at the wonderful object he conjured; it was a rose with a gradient color of sky to dark blue with dew drops glistening on its petals. He extended his hand to her with a soft smile on his face "On the behalf of the magical community, I apologize for all the hardships you were forced to endure"

"It is beautiful" Hermione said breathlessly as she accepted the rose from him.

"It is called 'Azure Mountain Rose'; it grows in the mountains surrounding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school from where I graduated; it is my favorite"

"Thank you Harry" she thanked him graciously, but her eyes showed more than that; Harry coughed awkwardly before opening the way for her "I think you should rest before the time for our assault".

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Harry used the spare time contriving the assault plan; and Hermione, who didn't want to sleep, sat on the sofa in his office switching glances between him and the rose, or reading a book from Harry's collecting after asking him for permission.

"Alright; I think that's all" Harry said as he took off his glasses and rubbed his sore eyes; Hermione looked at him with questioning eyes "Harry, your profile says that you are a death tracker, is it some kind of rank?"

He smiled at her "You really impressed me, Hermione; how did you get my profile?"

"Well, it was not me; Pierce used one of his 'special' programs to hack into your computer" she smiled nervously "And we were going to use the information we got to search for you and arrest you"

"I am not angry with you, Hermione; because it was all a hoax from Flint" he said soothingly "And to answer your question; 'death tracker' status has appeared after the Second Wizard War has ended, and it was a special rank that is given to the surviving aurors who have gained enough experience to track down the death eaters and bring them before justice. Ironically, that name was invented to contradict the death eater name; they eat death, and with the smell of death we track them down"

"Brilliant, Harry" she said in amazement "So, only the surviving aurors got the rank?"

"No, any senior auror can obtain the rank; because, as their rank imply, they are senior enough to track the death eaters"

"Brilliant system; I wonder how did you build such integrated Law Enforcement system" said questioned

"It's a long story, Hermione" He smiled vaguely, and the door opened slightly with Dick popping his head through the narrow opening "Sir; the aurors are all here, and the battle pensive is ready. There is also a phone call we intercepted that you should listen to"

"Okay; I will dress up and then look for you in the intelligence room" Harry said, then looked at Hermione "I beg your pardon, Hermione; but I have to change my cloths"

"Oh … Okay" she stood up and walked out f the room, only to find the main hall in turmoil as nearly a hundred auror were coming and going, few of them were immersed deeply in private conversation.

"Hey, you" she jumped as on of the aurors called her from a close distance "Why aren't you prepared? And why are you dressed up like a muggle?"

She looked at him and smiled nervously "I'm sorry, but I'm not actually a witch and …"

"WHAT! A MUGGLE!" he yelled causing the other aurors to take notice of the situation "This is a mistake; a big mistake" she froze as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at her.

"Auror Boyle, put down your wand this instance" Ron shouted from afar, and she saw him Pierce beside him; the auror obeyed his officer and stood in respect.

"I'm sorry sir; but the presence of a muggle in the main HQ is something does not happen so often"

"She is a special case; along with our friend here" he said as he pointed at Pierce "They have been sought out by Flint's henchmen for elimination"

"That is a terrible thing, sir; but the presence of muggles in the HQ defies the tenth decree of the section three of 'Law enforcement policy' that prohibits the presence of a magical civilian in the auror field HQ; let alone a muggle" he said the last words while shooting a nasty look at the detectives "Whoever allowed this to happen must be disciplined immediately"

"I have allowed them myself, Regular Auror Boyle" Harry said firmly from behind, and they all turned around and saw him standing wearing a dark blue uniform with matching cloak, his officer insignia can be seen on his shoulders with its five golden stars; and he was not wearing a beret like the other aurors, instead his beret was tucked into a holster on his right shoulder.

The auror stood firmly facing his superior "I'm sorry, sir; but the tenth decree …"

"I know the law, sir; so don't think you can outsmart me with it" Harry interrupted him firmly "On the other hand, do you know the eleventh decree of section three?"

"I-I" the auror stammered as he didn't find the answer; and Harry looked at him with a sarcastic smile "It seems that your memory is not strong at all, so let me 'enlighten' you with the new laws. The eleventh decree of section three states that the auror must ensure the safety of civilians, magicals or not, and protect them even at the cost of exposing his true identity"

"B-But, sir; they are muggles and …" the auror retorted, and then cowered when he saw the sheer rage in Harry's eyes "It seems that racism has not been eradicated along with Voldemort" the auror flinched at the name as many others did, but Harry didn't care about it as he continued "I don't have time to present you in front of a disciplinary committee; so a quick punishment is in order. Auror Boyle, you are relieved from your command of Phoenix Five; the leadership will be transferred to your deputy; now return to your post"

The auror saluted him horridly and returned to his team; and Harry spoke up "I do not allow discrimination of people even if they weren't magicals; but since I found some of you still stick to the old 'ideals', I have to run a background check on every auror under my command after this mission. Now everyone, head for the meeting hall, I will begin briefing in a minute. Ron, get dressed up"

Ron nodded; and everybody went straight to the meeting hall, and Harry ushered them to follow him to the intelligence room "I'm sorry everyone, but there are still some wizards who think themselves superior just because they are using magic"

"Don't worry bro, we are used to discrimination; have you forgotten that rat Johnson and his goons?" Pierce replied cheerfully.

"Speaking of rats, I think Dick has stumbled upon a phone call that would expose the real rat that was responsible for your ambush" Harry said as he entered the intelligence room, and they all saw dick in his usual spot.

"Dick, I think you have something to show me" said Harry casually.

"Yes, sir; but 'hearing' is the correct word. I intercepted a phone call between Flint and the insider, listen yourself" Dick said as he turned on the audio file; and the detective gasped when they recognized the voice.

"Bloody wanker; who would've suspected?" Hermione said angrily; and Pierce's fist clenched "Let me bring the file to the authorities, Harry; he has to be stopped"

"All in good time, friends" said Harry as he tried to calm them down "Now we have to dry the source of his power; in other words, Flint. Dick I want you with me in the briefing to operate the newly modified battle pensive"

They all exited the intelligence room, and went straight to the meeting hall; and as soon as they entered, an auror shouted "Officer on deck" every auror stood firmly and made way to Harry and his astonished muggle companions, who have never seen such discipline in their life "It's like the army" Pierce said in amazement.

"It is the army" Harry retorted; and assumed his place at the head of meeting "At ease, everyone; I am pleased to announce that this mission has finally come to an end, as we have discovered the whereabouts of Marcus Flint and his death eaters" everybody beamed in joy at the revelation, and he continued "Unfortunately, he is in a well-guarded manor on the outskirts of the city; and it is surrounded with anti-apparition ward; Dick, if you please …"

The intelligence specialist waved his wand, and a three dimensional liquid hologram appeared on the surface of the pensive "This is a modified battle pensive; thanks to the efforts of Auror Howards, it can show constant surveillance using enchanted cameras placed by Phoenix Ten, Eleven, and Twelve; Dick …" the auror waved his wand once again; and the hologram zoomed in "There are three walls surrounding the manor; north, east, and west; each is heavily guarded by Muerte's Elite guard, and the shifts are changed every four hours; but there is an Achilles heel in this nearly invincible fortress"

The view changed to showed the southern side of the manor, where there was a rocky mountain "The southern side is poorly defended due to the presence of a mountain; and from there we will hit them" the zoom returned to normal "Auror Weasley will be in command of the secondary forces with Phoenix Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen; he will hinder any escapees that will try to escape from the northern gates after our assault; I will lead the attack hat will descend from above the mountain along with Phoenix One, Two, and Three; the other forces will be divided equally with Auror Pavlov commanding the east wall forces; and Auror Blanc will command the west wall forces; they will not attack until I give the signal; Auror Dick will stay here and informs us of any updates"

He then smiled at them and continued "This is your moment everyone; for those who are seeking revenge, you can execute it legally; for those who seek field experience, I guarantee that you will get it; and for those who seek promotion, this is your perfect chance; charge bravely, attack swiftly, but most importantly, stay alive; I want to give the medal to you, not to your widows. Also, keep in mind that we need prisoners; so do not resort to the lethal force unless you are attacked with it. Now … Dismiss"

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The sun has set, and everyone was in place; Harry and his teams were at the top of the mountain were they can see the whole manor "Battalion; confirm your status"

"East Phoenix, standing by" Vlad stated.

"West Phoenix, standing by" Sofia stated.

"Secondary Phoenix, standing by" Ron stated.

"Alright, South Phoenix is descending; Vanessa do it now" Harry ordered; and the aforementioned auror waved her wand and Harry was levitated off the ground; she descended him smoothly, and he could see the Columbians forces, but something was not right.

He reached the ground; and looked everywhere and saw no one near him "Okay, Hanson; descend the rope" William conjured a rope and tied it to a pre-placed ring above the mountain; then threw the loose end at Harry, who did the same thing "Okay, rope secure; you can descend"

The assault team descended like beads in a thread; and after they were all down; Harry conjured off the rope "Now, let's get a move on"

They walked silently and cautiously; but much to their surprise they didn't encounter anyone "I don't like it; assault teams, confirm your status"

"Everything is in order; waiting for attack sign" Vlad stated; and Harry sighed in discomfort "Dick, any updates"

"Nothing sir; the shit exchange is taking place; but the second shift hasn't come yet"

"I don't like it; I really don't like it" Harry said as he ushered the teams to follow him; and Dick spoke up "Wait, sir; multiple activities in your area and on the walls … Death eaters! Watch it sir"

"It's a trap" Harry exclaimed "Everyone pull out your wands; they already know we are here!"

As if they heard him; multiple death eaters appeared out of nowhere and began to fire curses at them; an auror has fallen, and the rest of the teams fell back under barriers.

"It's a trap, sir; death eaters" Vlad exclaimed through the headphone.

"Fall back to the nearest defended zone; you hear me Vlad?" Harry exclaimed as the cruses flew everywhere.

"Sir; we can't take anymore; the barriers cannot hold much longer, and I already lost an auror" William shouted from afar; and Harry looked firmly at behind the death eaters "Let's give it a shot" he levitated a wooden barrel and swooped it across the ground and it hit two of the five death eaters were rendered unconscious.

"What the bloody …" the death eaters were distracted; and it was what Harry wanted "Now!" he order the attack; and the rest of the death eaters have fallen unconscious along with there brethren.

"Okay; now tread carefully; we don't want to fall into another ambush"

"Roger, sir" Vanessa exclaimed joyfully as she was witnessing the might of Harry Potter in person for the first time. The team walked across the manor grounds into the manor itself; they entered the entry hall which was pretty dim to walk through "Tread carefully, mates" Harry whispered; and the hall was lighted suddenly; and ten of the muggle guards appeared from both sides pointing their guns warningly.

"Hola, Gringo" Muerte appeared from above the stares with two other guards "I see that senor Flint's prediction was correct; you really dared to attack my fortress"

"Well; it wasn't that hard considering how thick you are leaving the south parts unguarded" Harry replied coldly.

"Calaste, Gringo" Muerte bellowed "But I will consider it in the near future … Kill them!"

The guards fired their weapons; but the auror team members were already prepared with their shield; and the bullets dropped to the ground.

"You too!" Muerte said with widened eyes; Harry waved his hand, and the guns flew out of the guards hands; who were stunned by the aurors afterwards.

"This will tell you not to underestimate us" Harry said coldly as he stepped toward the now alone Muerte; he pulled out his sword and placed the tip under the drug lord's chin "now tell me, where is Flint?"

"You can try to intimidate me as much as you want amigo; but I won't talk" the cartel leader said in apparent bravery; and Harry glared at him with his famous death glare "I don't have time for your babbling; talk" the light of the hall began to flash as usual when Harry is in a truly bad mood; and his aura began to appear "Speak, or else"

"Dios mio! Y-You're El-El-Diablo himself" Muerte said with trembling voice "I will talk, I will talk; please don't hurt me. He is in the basement; you can reach it from here" he pointed a shaky finger at a distant corner where a small door is "He is there waiting for you; Please don't kill me"

"Don't worry; you are not worth it … _Stupefy_" the drug lord fell unconscious as the spell hit him; and Harry portkeyed him to the holding cells before turning toward his team who were in awe "Listen everyone; I want you to be on your guard from now on. Vanessa you will coordinate your attack with Sofia on the west wall; and you Lee, will do the same with Vlad; put those bloody death eaters between the hammer and anvil"

"Yes, sir" the aurors saluted him before going to their assignments; and he turned toward Hanson "William; you will follow me to Flint"

They went through the basement door; and found themselves in a long corridor with archways on both sides "Be careful everyone; this is the best place for a trap" he stepped cautiously toward the door at the end of the corridor; but much to his luck; five death eaters appeared from the right archways.

"It's a trap indeed; everyone shelter yourselves by the left archway" Harry said as he dodged a severing charm; and the aurors went straight to where he ordered.

The fight lasted for ten minutes with no apparent victor; and Harry shouted at auror Hanson "William; try to divert them from me; I will try to reach the door"

"Roger, sir; everybody; you heard the boss; engage them" the auror moved out of their hiding and engaged the death eaters in a fearsome fight; Harry leaped in extraordinary speed from arch to another, until he reached the door "Bombarda" Harry directed his wand at the door; and it burst opened; he took a glance at the inside of the room; and what he saw wasn't pleasant.

"Welcome, Potter" Flint, who was standing beside the now-working EMPA along with five of his inner circle, greeted him sarcastically.

"Long time no see, Flint" Harry greeted back "I see that you were busy when I was away; I hope you don't plan on resurrecting Voldemort because it won't work; I have already banished him to oblivion"

"Rest assured, Potter; I have my own agenda to run and it doesn't involve bringing him back" Flint retorted "You have to know that I have foreseen it all; your puny attack has been prepared for"

"How? Did you hire a seer?" Harry sneered.

"Much better; I have used my modified EMPA …" Flint replied, and waved his wand at the EMPA; and it produced a gigantic electromagnetic Orb that showed his teams fighting the tens of death eaters, and taking a beating "You see that your teams are in a position I don't envy them for; and you cannot do anything to help them"

"Foe-Glass can do better job with less expense, Flint" Harry ridiculed him "And I don't think your gigantic crystal ball is correct. Assault teams, report your status"

"We are taking a beating, sir; and the death eaters are unreachable because they are on higher grounds" Vlad shouted through the headphone; and Flint's scornful smile widened "You see, Potter; you are as helpless as a flobberworm"

"You dream, Flint" Harry retorted firmly; and spoke through the mic "Assault teams; are you near the base of the wall?"

"Yess, sir" the team leader answered; and Harry glared at Flint firmly before commanding "Bring the walls down"

The whole ground trembled as the aurors fulfilled the command; and Flint, who was taken aback by Harry's 'radical' solution, shouted in anger "How dare you … Surround him"

The death eater escort surrounded Harry, who was standing calmly with a sly look on his face "I see that I vexed you out of your mind, Flint; how rude of me"

Flint, whose eyes were shooting daggers at Harry, walked toward the EMPA and addressed his foe "I have to give you a point for that, Potter; no one has ever irritated me more than you and your tactical mind; but you came too late this time as my plan is almost complete; and we will be victorious"

"I don't know if you were either deaf or dumb; but I can safely assume that your forces have been buried under the rubbles by now" Harry stated calmly not giving a thought about the wands pointed at him.

"You are an idiot if you thought that I would keep all my minions in one place; those whom you saw until now are hardly one tenth of our real number" Flint replied while busying himself with the EMPA

Harry raised an eyebrow, and questioned sarcastically "You were working hard lately, aren't you flint?"

"Same as you, senior auror; I'll be sure to place your badge on your tombstone"

"Voldemort couldn't kill me; neither will you" Harry stated it coldly, and the death eater around him quivered with fear as his aura rippled.

"Voldemort was a fool, if he listened to me you wouldn't be standing and we would be ruling the entire world by now" Flint snapped at him, then regained his calmness "but no matter; I will achieve the feat that my former master couldn't … Kill him"

The death eaters where about to cut Harry apart; but they didn't move a muscle because their heads have been chopped off in extraordinary speed; Flint's eyes widened when he saw his inner-circle fall down "W-What was that?"

"I forgot to introduce you to my new sword; meet Gryffindor Katana" Harry flashed the engraved name before sheathing back the sword. Flint began to laugh madly before stating "You never seize to amaze me, Potter; I have to admit that you are a worthy adversary; unlike the dolts in the Auror department"

"Same is said to you, Flint; you seem to use your head much more that Voldemort" Harry replied calmly "Unfortunately, I have to arrest you for your crimes"

"Not before we duel, Potter" Flint un-holstered his wand "I, Marcus Flint, Leader of the Neo Death Eaters; challenge you in a on-on-one duel, Senior Auror Harry Potter"

Harry pulled out his wand "I Harry Potter, Senior Auror and commander of US fisrt Auror Battalion; accept the duel"

"Everything goes in this duel, Potter; including your sword; but I doubt you will have the time to use it" Flint stated, and a few death eaters entered from a back door at the same time the auror assault teams entered from the main entrance.

"No body intervene in this fight; it is a one-on-one duel" Flint bellowed at his minions.

"Same goes to you Aurors" Harry addressed his team. And both parties stood still waiting for the fearsome duel to take place.

Harry and flint stood face to face in the middle of the basement; the buzzing sound of the EMPA created a dreadful background for the duel; Harry's aura shot to the ceiling and gasped from both teams could be heard.

"Impressive …" Flint said, and his dark aura shot to an equal height, and similar gasps has been heard "How do you find my aura, Potter?"

"Interesting …" Harry answered coolly "Let's test your reflexes … _Stupefy_" the gigantic stunner shot out of Harry's wand toward Flint, who barely dodged it; the stunner continued its way until it hit several death eaters causing them to fly.

"Wonderful casting Potter; let's test your now … _Crucio_" the dark red sparks flew toward Harry, who somersaulted to sideways avoiding it.

"No thanks; I already tasted torture by the hands of Voldemort, and it is more than enough" Harry retorted as he prepared himself to shoot another hex "_Aquefors_" a silvery spray shot out of Harry's wand, and was also dodged by flint; the spray showered a death eater causing him to melt down like a liquid.

"A liquidating charm … Impressive; but not good enough … _discerpo_" the severing charm flew toward Harry, who conjured a shield that stopped it "Good one, Flint; Let me show you something familiar … _Explodia_" the reddish purple curse flew toward the leader of the death eaters, who dodged it barely and saw it hitting a fellow death eater causing him to explode repulsively.

"Impressive" Flint said as he eyed the fallen death eater "I see that Malfoy has been busy"

"Research has really occupied him, you know" Harry replied calmly as if he was speaking with a friend.

"No matter; that trick does not suit someone mighty as the leader of the death eaters; taste this, Potter … _Avada Kedavra Infiniti_" the sickening green beams shot out of Flint's wand aiming for Harry's chest, who directed it with his bare palm away from him and his fellow aurors "I don't think you have forgotten that I am already immune to the killing curse"

"Don't trust a rumor until you test it yourself" Flint shrugged his shoulders "And I have to congratulate you for achieving such feat"

"Felicitations accepted; now I have a gift for you that would suit the mighty leader of death eaters … _Fundos_" a shapeless, yellowish green emulsion shot out of Harry's wand and dropped acid as it flew toward Flint who jumped aside, but a droplet of acid dropped on his leg causing a severe burning sensation; he washed the affected part quickly with a spray of water. He saw the curse hit a fellow death eater squarely in the chest; and he shrieked as his skin began to boil before exploding hideously showering many death eaters with acid.

"Good one, Potter" he turned toward his opponent, but he didn't find him; and he felt a sharp pain slicing through his wand arm and he heard a sarcastic voice "Who said that I wouldn't have the time for the sword … _Offendo_" Flint flew backwards and groaned as he hit the wall hard.

"And that concludes our duel …" Harry said as he sheathed back the sword; and Flint laughed painfully "With all your might in the sword, couldn't even cleave my hand off"

"Look closely, Flint" Harry addressed him calmly; and the death eater glanced at his wounded hand; and he saw the frost forming around it causing it to fall apart "How do you like my frostbite, Flint?"

The aforementioned death eater looked at him in astonishment, before laughing insanely "You really bested your own skill Potter; Magic through metal! Who would've thought?" then he eyed the green eyed auror slyly "It is your time to look at your back"

Harry looked at him cautiously before hearing a throbbing sound coming from behind, he looked back and saw the magnetic ball wavering madly "What the bloody …"

"I done it, the third phase of EMPA is complete; my army will be summoned and you will be defeated" Flint bellowed like crazy and Harry eyed the enlarging ball with concern; he shot a few reductor spells at the EMPA; but it was blocked by an invisible shield.

"I knew that you would try to damage my contraption, Potter; so I placed a constant shield around it so you won't try anything stupid" Flint said sarcastically as he held his damaged arm in pain

Harry switched his eyes between the fallen death and the machine before making up his mind "I know it is clumsy; but there is no other choice" he unsheathed his sword, and, much to the witnesses' surprise, he stuck in the ground "What are you thinking, Potter?"

"Shake it …" Harry said firmly, and the whole ground began to tremble violently; and the ceiling began to come down.

"Bloody hell" Flint exclaimed, when he saw the EMPA taking a violent hit from a big chuck of the fallen ceiling and go down; he then eyed the magnetic ball and saw that it was still growing "Your plan has failed, Potter; the portal is still processing, and …" he was pushed back by an electromagnetic surge before completing his sentence; he eyed the ball again; and saw that it was rippling madly "It's going to explode; everyone flee" he pulled out a small object that portkeyed him away; and the remaining death eaters began to run out of the basement in panic.

"Vlad, get out with the auror teams; I will try to contain the explosion" Harry yelled at his trusted auror.

"But sir; it is too big to contain it all by yourself; and the whole building is coming down" Vlad tried to reason with him.

"One causality is considered a victory, Vlad" Harry said in a significant tone; and the auror eyed him in disbelief "Now go"

The auror saluted him firmly before turning to the remaining aurors "Let's get out of here, now" the aurors began to exit the basement, and Harry was left all alone.

"Just you and me, bloody ball" Harry said as he shot a containment charm that surrounded the magnetic orb; and the electric surge began to waver madly "Playing tough, eh? Let's see how you will do it with double containment" he said as another charm was shot out of his wand. And the building began to crumble "Come on; let's get over with it"

As if the orb heard him, its surface began to waver violently; and Harry felt his head throb from the powerful surge "Turn … Off!" he shouted as a third containment charm was conjured; and the magnetic orb began to waver, before turning off completely; Harry conjured of the charms and spoke breathlessly "Mission … Accomplished" and his body couldn't take it any more and dropped down; his eyes began to shut off, and the final thing he saw was the ceiling coming down; and a twirl of fire surrounding him …

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_**A/N:**_ Okaaay; that's it for the grand chapter; the next chapter will be an epilogue, and will be rather short. I hope you loved the duel between Flint and Harry; and for H/Hr shippers … I'm sorry if my story didn't contain any romance, yet; just keep in mind that I don't like descriptive romance; just light love.

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


	15. Epilogue: Aftermath

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Harry Potter or any of J.K. Rowling characters, but there are some OCs that are mine.

**_A/N:_** Sigh Finally, we have reached the final chapter of this part. I have to thank al those who have read and reviewed my story; and specially those who have reviewed; flamers or not, you are welcome. Now, enough of the chit-chat and on with the chapter …

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**Epilogue: Aftermath**

Harry opened his eye slowly and he saw a peach-colored ceiling above him and a blurry red shape above his head; he turned his head right and saw a blurry figure sitting on a chair beside him with a fragrant rosy smell delighting his nostrils. He automatically extended his hand to the bedside table looking for his glasses, and felt a minor surge of pain hitting his arm up to the shoulder; he retracted his arm in pain and closed his eyes in an attempt to refrain himself from groaning; and asked in a voice that came out hoarsely "My glasses, please"

He felt his glasses being put on his nose; he opened his eyes again to see his companion, and it was no other than Hermione.

"Hey" he greeted her with a weak smile; and she returned his greetings with a lovely one "Hey yourself; you really scared us out there, what were you thinking?"

"Saving the world, of course" replied Harry with a weak chuckle that was suppressed by his pain, and Hermione looked at him in concern "Do you need me to call the nurse?"

"No" he said abruptly "I'm fine; just a bit sore. What happened? I can't seem to remember anything after the ceiling has crumbled"

"Luckily, Fawkes has been able to reach you on time; he brought you out to us with his brilliant fiery teleport, and your team rushed you to here; he is above your head, by the way" she said and nodded up

As if the bird heard her, he sang softly and Harry looked up at him in appreciation "Thanks Fawkes; for the umpteenth time, I am at your debt" he then turned back at her "How long have I been here?"

"Three days" she answered simply, and he groaned in frustration "Too bad, I was hoping to break my previous record; last time I was admitted for a whole week"

Hermione chuckled but didn't comment, and he asked her as he looked around the room "By the way, where is everybody?"

She leaned back at her chair before answering "Well, the guarding on your ward seems to be rather tight, my mum couldn't enter so she went to see how m dad is fairing, and Ron barely managed to let me in; then he went to report to your superiors, the guard told us that the sentry orders game from the minister himself"

"Privilege for being an effective war machine" Harry chuckled lightly at his own comment, but Hermione didn't find it amusing and she looked at him with a scolding glance and replied "You have to stop calling yourself a war machine, Harry; you are a human being not another lifeless object"

"I don't overstate my condition, Hermione; I am a war machine" he said firmly "I don't have a family, I barely have friends beside Ron, I have been to the hospital more times than I have ever been to my residence. In other word, I don't have a life"

"Then you better start looking for one …" she retorted firmly as she exchanged a meaningful look with him; the silent eye lock kept on for a whole minute before they broke it as they heard a commotion from outside; and Hermione jumped of her chair literally as the door burst open and the ward was flooded with an army of red heads who came swarming toward Harry. She saw a red-headed old lady at the door, and she was immersed in a hot dispute with the ward guard.

"I told you ma'am, this ward is off-limits" the guard tried to reason with the old lady.

"Don't ma'am me young man; we are his family" the old lady snapped at him.

"But …" the guard tried to argue, but Harry interrupted as he sat up "It's okay; they can enter"

"But sir, the minister said tha-" the guard said in disapproval, but he halted as he saw the firm look on Harry's eyes.

"I think I've spoken clearly, haven't I, auror?" Harry said slowly, and the guard backed off "I heard you clearly, sir; I'm sorry" and he left the room.

The old lady, who was none other than Molly Weasley, squealed in happiness as she saw Harry "Harry dear, I knew that one day either you or Ron would be here in the hospital"

Harry shrugged before replying "It is our work nature, Aunt Molly, which I advice you to accept because neither me nor Ron is going to quit it"

She gave him a soft hug "I know dear, but I'm really afraid of losing either of you. I really can't bear it"

"Don't be so pessimistic, Mum-"

"-He is Harry Potter after all-"

"-He doesn't fall down that easy-"

"-And when he do, he falls down the last" the twins said in their usual alternation, and Arthur scolded them "Boys, that's enough; this is not helping in relieving your mother. Anyway, how do you feel, Harry?"

"Much better, thank you Uncle Arthur" Harry said in gratitude then turned to the remaining Weasleys "How are you faring Bill; and you too Charlie; long time no see, by the way"

"We are doing good, Harry; so does your business" Bill replied "Director Ragnok and I couldn't keep up with all your stocks all over the world, he even asked all his colleagues in other Gringotts branches to help us in watching over your stocks; in other words, your fortune has revived the dying business in the wizard world and made it reach plane that hasn't been reached for centuries"

Harry rubbed his forehead in ache "Ah; please stop, Bill; I would rather be buried under the rubble than to listen to a business report"

"For someone who won a major conflict you seem to be quite cheerful, Harry; you would fair well in dragon taming" Charlie stated.

"No thanks, I have a very unpleasant experience with a dragon that you all know; and it is not encouraging" Harry retorted jokily; and they all laughed at him.

Hermione looked at the whole scene from her distant seat, and couldn't help but to smile as she concluded that it was the answer for their recent quarrel "You already have a loving family, Harry" she said almost in a whisper, and the twins turned around as they heard the statement.

"Well hello there, pretty one" Fred said as he advanced towards her casually "What's your name?"

"Ermm … Hermione Granger" Hermione answered cautiously as she saw the second twin eyeing her questionably before replying "Granger? Isn't it the name of hat muggle detective that Ron told us about?"

"Yes, it must be her. Hello, I'm Fred Weasley the first half of the Weasley twins, and this us my twin and second half George" he extending his hand in welcome which was accepted by her graciously, and George yelled in disapproval "That is not true; you already know that I'm the first half and you are the second"

"No I'm correct; we are called Fred and George not George and Fred, and I'm older from you by five minutes which makes me the first half" Fred replied, and George huffed angrily "But I am more devious than you"

"Of course not" Fred retorted "who do you think was able to invent a handy trick like the hive bomb?"

"That's unfair; we both know that you stole the draft from under my pillow" George exclaimed in disapproval, and Fred laughed wickedly "Which proves that I'm more devious than you"

Harry chuckled at their quarrel, then began to introduce Hermione to the Weasleys "Everyone, this is Hermione Granger; she is the muggle detective that offered me plenty of help in the mission"

"Hello Hermione; I am Molly Weasley, Ron and Ginny's mother, and Harry's matron" the Weasley mother shook Hermione's hand, and then Arthur advanced toward her and introduced himself "I'm Arthur Weasley; patriarch of the Weasley family, and the unfortunate father of those two" Fred and George waved at her from both sides "And these are my other sons, Bill and Charlie"

The aforementioned Weasleys came forth and greeted her properly; Hermione was overwhelmed by the sheer number of the family; she was the only child of her parents, so she couldn't imagine such number in one family. By the time the acquaintances have been made, the door opened and two persons came in.

"Minister Bones! Minister Malone!" Harry exclaimed in amazement, and was about to stand up and salute his superiors, but an usher from Bones told him not to "At ease, Mister Potter, no need for formalities here"

Malone smiled at him and stated "We are here to check on our number one high commander; you have saved the whole city of Los Angeles from an unknown fate, maybe the world; Good work …"

"Although that move you took in eradicating the EMPA was reckless; it was not in vain; as the magnetic orb was too dangerous to be let loose" Bones said while looking at Harry from above her spectacles.

"Thank you sir, I was only doing my job in protecting the people" Harry replied respectably, and the two ministers exchanged a smile with each other before Malone spoke up "Actually, Potter; we are here to discuss you next promotion"

"What promotion, sir?" Harry asked cautiously, and Bones pulled out a platinum badge and handed it to the stunned Harry "Congratulations, Auror Potter; you have been made a Grand Auror"

Harry extended his hand and accepted the badge in disbelief; and Fred was the first to comment "Blimey, Harry; I think that you are now the youngest Grand Auror in the history of magic"

Harry stared at his new badge, which was the same shape and size of his former one; except that it is made of platinum and contains six stars instead of five. He then remembered something and addressed his superiors "If I may say, sir; I think that the battalion now is short of a general"

"Well; we assume that Mister Weasley is the best candidate for the vacancy" Amelia said with a smile, and Harry smiled back before continuing "I also discovered some talents amid my team members that would be waited if not promoted to death tracker status. These talents are aurors Pavlov, Howards, and Blanc. I know that Auror Pavlov is the only one that is eligible because his next promotion will include him into the senior auror ladder; but I would like you to reconsider for the other two"

"Very well, Potter; we will deliberate into this matter" Malone replied.

"May I ask something" Hermione, who was witnessing the whole conversation in confusion, said slowly and cautiously "What is the grand auror rank?"

"It's the highest rank in the auror chain of command; I assume it is equal to the muggle rank Field Marshal" Amelia Bones answered the now-astounded Hermione; then looked at her with a smile "Miss Granger, isn't it?"

"That reminds me of something" Malone interrupted, then addressed Harry "Auror Potter; I think there are some loose ropes that need to be tied"

No body understood what he meant except Amelia and Harry; the latter sat up properly before speaking "If I may suggest, sir; Detectives Granger and McLaden have faced hardships that were not meant to be; McLaden lost his wife, and Hermione almost lost her parents and her own life. As for McLaden, I think that discovering that his daughter is a witch arbitrates his matter; but Hermione is not. What I wish for, Minister Bones and Malone, is to give her the choice before doing anything"

Amelia and Malone smiled before the former turned to face Hermione, who was in a state of confusion, and spoke softly "Miss Granger; it is for the benefit of our two worlds that you get your memory modified; I know that it is not a wonderful thing, but you have to understand that you knowing about us was not meant to be. Now, please make your choice"

Hermione stirred the thought in her mind before asking "If my memory was modified, what would I forget?"

"Everything up to the beginning of the mission; and Mr. McLaden will not be allowed to discuss the matter with you" Malone answered; and she glanced at Harry with much thought before giving her final answer.

"My answer is … No" Harry smiled at her in relief, and she continued "Memories is what make life bearable and more understandable, even the sad ones; if you took the memories out of someone's mind, he won't be more than an empty shell; if you sucked out the memories of someone, even the sad ones, he won't be able to deal with the hardships of life because he doesn't have any previous memories of them. If I wasn't attacked by the imposter, I wouldn't have searched for any information about Harry, and I wouldn't have stumbled upon his profile and understand his affiliation to magic" she stopped in order to regain her composure before bending her head and resuming "In my whole life people looked at me as a source of information or pleasure; I learned to recognize the latter type and avoided it; but I couldn't avoid the former one because it means I have to stop working. I never had true friends in my life; Pierce was the first one to be my true friend, although he can be annoying sometimes" she chuckled a bit, then glanced at Harry "Then, during the last mission, I met Harry and Ron, and they accepted my friendship without demands; and I knew that I have found my true friends" she sighed slowly "Harry has comforted me when I was depressed, and saved my life many times. He presented me with information I haven't dreamed of, and kept giving me help even when I chased him wrongly. He never has been mad at me, ever" she looked at Amelia firmly "You have to know that if you erased my memories, you won't me lose pain or experience, you will cost me two good friends"

Hermione breathed out as she finished, and Amelia smiled at her wonderful explanation "Your request is … Granted; now, I have to remind you that you may not discuss our world matters with any other muggle, but since you are still new at this, I have to appoint an overseer for you. Grand Auror Potter, are you up to the task?"

Harry straightened up and answered "Yes, Minister"

"Good" Amelia retorted "And that concludes our business here, gentlemen …" Amelia exited the ward along with Malone, and as soon as they walked out, cries of joy erupted into the ward.

"Cheers, mate-"

"You are now a grand auror-"

"And that calls for a celebration-"

"You will be our guest of honor in the grand opening of Weasley Wizard Wheezes, US branch-"

"It will be in the upcoming months, and as a co-owner you should, though" the twins said in their typical unison manner.

"Okay, guys; I think you will kill me if I didn't, anyway" Harry said, then turned to Hermione with a smile "Hermione, thanks for choosing to stay with us"

"No, Harry; I thank you for supporting my decision" Hermione replied back "Now, what will you do next"

Harry gaze went vacant, then was replaced with a firm look "Next, we have an insider to arrest"

----------------------------------------

Maronski stepped into his office bearing the foulest expression he could ever make; his face cannot be suitable for such sunny day, but after the FBI got a mystery call that led to the hideout of Muerte, his mood didn't lighten up. And after the FBI stormed the place and found no trace of Muerte, his mood got even grumpier. He grunted as he saw the piled paperwork on his desk "I need to change the scene or I would lose my mind"

"You already lost it when you chose Muerte" Maronski turned around quickly, and saw Harry leaning back on the wall "You don't have anymore to lose now"

"What are you doing here?" Maronski snapped at him, and Harry smiled slyly "Visiting you … I have some questions though; how much did Muerte offer you to join his side?"

"I-I don't know what are you talking about?" Maronski stammered "I will call the guards"

"No need to answer that question" Harry said ignoring his threats "What I really want to know is … How did Flint recruit you?"

"Who's Flint?" Maronski questioned in confusion.

"So he didn't tell you his name after all, how foxy" Harry retorted as he advanced toward him "Flint is the one who was responsible for the death of Lydia McLaden; of course, this does not exempt you from the same delict"

"I-I don't …" Maronski stuttered as he backed out toward his desk, and Harry interrupted him "I pledged myself to expose your deeds, traitor; and I will go to the end of the path; you were the one who divulged our moves to them, aren't you?"

Maronski bumped his back at his desk, then ran around it and pulled a gun out of a hidden drawer "Back off, Potter; I have reached this far in concealing my motives, and you will not reveal it to anyone"

Harry smiled coldly at the raging captain "So, you are confessing after all"

"Yeah" Maronski replied slowly "I have informed them of your movements; for a bundle of grands, of course; and to tell you the truth, I have enjoyed every buck of it" Maronski smiled in confidence "You would never know how good the grands are"

Harry looked at him coldly "No one knows money better than me, traitor; and believe me, I won't buy you happiness; but in your case, it will buy you something alright … A one way ticket to the jail"

As Harry finished his sentence, the door opened suddenly, and Ron, Hermione, Pierce, and Johnson entered along with several FBI agents who grabbed Maronski by arms.

"What does that suppose to mean?" Maronski said angrily but not without a hint of fear; and Hermione stepped forward and answered him "It means that you are out of job, traitor … Take him away"

Maronski struggled as the agents took him to custody; and Johnson cleared his throat and spoke up "Well, I think I will reluctantly assume the leadership of the precinct until a new captain is assigned"

"Do whatever you want, Johnson" Hermione retorted coldly "I am quitting anyway"

"Hermione …" Pierce said in disbelief; and Johnson looked at her in amusement "Well, I think the precinct won't lose much, then"

"Oh, shove it, Johnson. If you want to know my opinion, then it is that the precinct will lose much more under your command, you are no leader than my dog is a prime minister"

"Woohoo, one plate of hot revenge is served right up" Pierce remarked funnily, and Johnson stormed out of the office in anger.

"That was a good one, Hermione" Ron stated in amazement "But I hope you don't mean it …"

"I mean every word of it" Hermione answered "I'm planning on trying the private field"

"With you gone, that would leave me alone once again" Pierce said in a sad tone, then made up his mind on something "Wes, would you … Would you mind if I proposed to your sister?"

------------------------------------------

Three weeks have passed and the wedding bells rang; the Weasleys have decided to pull a double wedding for Ron, Lavender, Ginny, and Pierce; Molly has never cried like she did that day, and Harry and Hermione has never been encumbered with something like being the bridesmaid groomsman.

"Well, I think we are officially a family now, Wes; aren't we … Mrs. McLaden" Pierce stated while looking at Ginny, and she beamed at him without saying anything.

Harry walked toward them, and congratulated both of them "I can't find words to describe the happiness I feel, but I think this gift will say enough" he handed both men a key each, and he smiled as they looked at him in confusion "Ron, I know you loved France, so my gift to you is a cottage near Marseilles that look down upon the sea. And you, Pierce; I really don't know what you like, but I know that Ginny loved the Alps; so the cottage I gave you is overlooking Vienna; and you Ginny …" he looked at the redhead bride "I have to give you this" he pulled out a passport and handed it to her "This is for you in order to be able to travel in the muggle way"

"Thank you, Harry; my words cannot describe my happiness for your generosity" Ginny hugged him with teary eyes, and he comforted her "Now, now, no need to cry on me; keep your mood swing for your new husband during your honey moon" and they all laughed.

----------------------------------------------

"May I take your order, sir" the waiter asked Harry.

"Earl Gray tea, please … Hermoine" he looked at his companion in question.

"Make it two please" the waiter took their order, and went inside to prepare it; Hermione sighed in relief as she leaned back at her chair "What a case, I can't believe that it has finished"

"Really" Harry retorted "Do you believe that it has started from this very café?"

"I can hardly remember anything from the beginning" she replied, then leaned forward "What vexes me is that I don't know anything about Muerte"

Harry looked left and right to make sure no one is watching, then pulled out a news paper and handed it to Hermione "Here; look at this, but keep it low"

Hermione took the newspaper in curiosity and unfolded it, and she barely caught her gasped before sounding as a moving picture showing Muerte surrounded by who appear to be wizards, and they were questioning him.

_Daily Prophet April, 10th 2005 Page One_

_**MUGGLE PROSECTION**_

**_FIRST MUGGLE HEARING IN WIZENGMOT_**

_Pueblo Martinez, also known as Muerte which means 'Death' in Spanish, has been brought to custody by Auror Harry Potter and his International Auror Team, in the light of Flint's case. Muerte has been prosecuted for aiding an international terrorist wizard and is facing a penalty of life imprisonment in Azkaban prison._

_(For Detail, check p13)_

Hermione folded back the newspaper, and looked at Harry in disbelief "So, he … He is no more, right?"

"Correct" Harry said with a smile, and Hermione smiled back before asking "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know" Harry answered "I still have to chase Flint, so I have to be here for some time, in the mean time, I am planning on visiting an old friend" he then looked at his watch and said "Oh, I have an appointment with Director Grimrok at Gringotts, care to join me?"

"You mean … To visit your people?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Yes" he answered casually, and she nodded in excitement; he got up and ushered her to follow him, and they walked until they reached an abandoned alley way; he walked inside and she followed him until they reached a dead-end.

"But, this is a dead-end" Hermione said, and Harry pulled out his wand and answered "Only if you believed that" he clicked some bricks, and the wall began to rumble; Hermione backed off as a reaction, but Harry held her arm in comfort. The wall move away opening a live alley that astounded Hermione.

"Welcome … TO our world" Harry said as the crowd sucked them …

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_**A/N:**_ well, that's it for the first part of the saga; I hope you loved it because I loved every word I wrote, see you soon in the second part


	16. Appendix A

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Harry Potter or any of J.K. Rowling's characters; but I own this whole appendix at least.

**_A/N:_** For all those who want to know more about the new spells and curses I used through the part, I give you this appendix which I stole from the aurors archives. It contains different categories of magical spells, including Harry's own spells (Door bangs) Oops, I think they found out … Seeya (Disapparate)

* * *

**Appendix A**

**I. Magical spells restricted for the Death Trackers:**

****

_**1. Memory Extracting Charm:**_

_Description_

- A purple beam of light shoots out of the caster's wand aiming for the target's forehead.

- When the beam hits the target, it retracts slowly pulling the selected memories with it.

- The memories appear as azure light globes which steadily.

- The extracted memories are stored inside the wand core until a suitable collection basin is found (Usually a pensive).

_Incantation:_

Memoria Extractum

_Spell Strength:_

6/10

_Waving Pattern:_

Classified

_Trivia:_

- If the charm was cast upon an unwilling target, it can cause him pain beyond imagination; because of that, it was restricted for the death trackers only.

- The wand can store up to ten complete memories.

- The memories extracted by the caster are merely copies of the original ones, thus the target can still recall his memories anytime.

**_2. Memory Recalling Charm:_**

_Description_

- The purple light beam shoots out of the wand holding the memory globes.

_Incantation:_

Memoria Recolo

_Spell Strength:_

1/10

_Waving Pattern:_

Classified

_Trivia:_

- If the spell was initiated without being targeted at a pensive, the memories will be lost.

- The charm cannot insert a memory into anyone's mind; thus, it should be reviewed only by a pensive.

_**3. The Acid Curse:**_

_Description:_

- A shapeless, yellowish-green, emulsion emerges out of the caster's wand toward the target.

- When the curse hit, greenish, eye-burning vapor begins to erupt from under the victim's skin, and his limbs start to blacken and fall.

_Incantation:_

Fundos

_Spell Strength:_

9/10

_Waving Pattern:_

Classified

_Trivia:_

- This spell causes the interstitial fluid to turn into concentrated sulfuric acid which causes the blackening of the limbs.

- If the curse was aimed accurately at the heart, the whole circulating blood of the victim will be turned into acid, and the whole body will explode eventually due to the increasing pressure of the vapor.

- When the body of the victim explodes, his acidified parts will be spread into a radius causing collateral damage.

**_3. Apparition-Triggered Anti-Apparition Ward:_**

_Description:_

- The application of this trap is similar to the normal anti-apparition ward with difference in adding a trigger and concealment charms.

- The ward is triggered when someone apparates into its radius, and with the concealment charm, the victim cannot feel the ward being auto-activated.

- This ward can be considered a trap if it was erected with discretion.

_Incantation:_

None (It is actually a compilation of multiple spells)

_Waving Pattern:_

Classified (The method of compilation is auror top secret).

_Spell Strength:_

3/10

_Trivia:_

- The ward cannot be activated by disapparating out of the ward, thus, if someone stepped into it non-magically, he can disapparate without being hindered.

- The spell is non-offensive, but it got a strength pattern of 3/10 because if the victim tried to disapparate forcibly he will be pulled down with equal force causing him some pain.

_**4. Liquidating Jinx:**_

_Description:_

- A silvery spray is shot out of the wand aiming for the target.

- As soon as the spray touches the target, the victim gradually turns into liquid killing him slowly.

_Incantation:_

Aquefors

_Waving Pattern:_

Classified

_Spell Strength:_

8/10

_Trivia:_

- Unlike the acid curse, the liquidating jinx does not cause any collateral damage.

- even though the jinx is eventually lethal, it needs some time to take effect; and during this lag time any team member can cast the counter-jinx saving the victim.

_**5. Normalizing Counter-jinx:**_

_Description:_

- A semi-transparent yellowish dust appears out of the caster's wand.

- As soon as it touches the victim, his body begins to recover its previous status of solidification.

_Incantation:_

Normofors

_Waving Pattern:_

Moving the wand in circles above the victim's liquidated body

_Spell Strength:_

1/10

Trivia:

- The counter-jinx let the victim regain his body structure that he used to have just before being liquidated.

- The spell does not act as a healing spell; thus, any injury that has been inflicted upon the victim prior his liquidated is also re-solidified.

* * *

**II. Harry Potter Close-Quarters Magic:**

****

**_1. Electrocution:_**

_Description:_

- When Harry slashes an enemy, he can administer a non-lethal electric current through his katana that paralyzes the victim's body for a short period of time.

_Weapon Used:_

Gryffindor Katana.

_Incantation:_

None

_Waving Pattern:_

None

_Spell Strength:_

5/10

_Trivia:_

- Harry does not need to utter incantations or to wave his wand in order to cast magic; same applied for elemental magic used via the sword, he only needs to concentrate his intent and raw magic.

- The slash need not to be lethal in order for the spell to take effect.

- This spell can be used concurrently with Scorch.

_**2. Scorch:**_

_Description:_

- Harry slashes the enemy, the sends an unbearable burning sensation through the wound that distracts the victim out of the battle.

_Weapon Used:_

Gryffindor Katana.

_Incantation:_

None

_Waving Pattern:_

None

_Spell Strength:_

5/10

_Trivia:_

- Same as above

- This spell can be used concurrently with Electrocution.

**_3. Earthquake:_**

_Description:_

- Harry stabs his katana into the ground and sends an underground shockwave that can cause a minor earthquake in a certain radius

_Weapon Used:_

Gryffindor Katana.

_Incantation:_

None

_Waving Pattern:_

None

_Spell Strength:_

3/10 (Outdoors), 6/10 (Indoors)

_Trivia:_

- The application of the attack affects a certain radius, not an exact target; thus, anyone one who stands within the boundaries of the earthquake will be affected regardless of his affiliation.

- If this attack was used indoors, it could cause the whole room to crumble.

_**4. Frostbite:**_

_Description:_

- Harry slashes the enemy while magically decreases the temperature of the wound and the surrounding parts causing the affected part to be necrotized.

_Weapon Used:_

Gryffindor Katana.

_Incantation:_

None

_Waving Pattern:_

None

_Spell Strength:_

8/10

_Trivia:_

- The slash must be deep in order for the spell to take effect.

- The necrotizing part cannot be restored by the normalizing jinx.

_**5. Leaping:**_

_Description:_

- Harry impels his superhuman reflexes to go beyond superhuman, he jumps from one location to another causing his enemies to be distracted, and planting successful hits using his fists, sword, or wand.

_Weapon Used:_

Whole Body

_Incantation:_

None

_Waving Pattern:_

None

_Spell Strength:_

None

_Trivia:_

- Leaping can be confused with some wizards to be apparition, but it is simply physical movement; thus, anti-apparition wards do not affect it.

- Leaping consumes a lot of energy from Harry; and because of that, he only resort to it in critical situations.

_**6. The Shockwave:**_

_Description:_

- Harry pushes his open palm into the victim's chest and unleashes part of his raw magic that causes the victim to fly for five meters at least

_Weapon Used:_

Wandless Magic + Bare Fists

_Incantation:_

Offendo

_Waving Pattern:_

Open palm pressed against the target's chest.

_Spell Strength:_

7/10

_Trivia:_

- The spell can be used against solid lifeless objects too.

- Harry does not need to mutter the incantation for the spell to take effect; but speaking it up might increase the power of the spell.

- The spell can be used from a distance, but its power will be much weaker.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ I hope you liked it, this appendix might unveil some information you might not understand during the course of the story. I also might add something interesting next appendix ... Seeya

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


	17. Appendix B

**_A/N: _**This is the second appendix which contains the distribution of ranks among auror officers and enlists; the auror ranks is compared with muggle ranks, and the badge is replaced with shoulder insignia in times of war.

* * *

**Appendix B**

**_Officer Ranks_**

**Muggle Ranks **--------------------- **Auror Ranks **--------------------------------------- **Auror Insignia**

Officer Cadet ----------------------- Field Auror ------------------------------------------- Bronze Blank Badge

2nd Lieutenant ---------------------- Regular Auror (5th Class) ----------------------------- Silver Badge with 1 Star

1st Lieutenant ----------------------- Regular Auror (4th Class) ----------------------------- Silver Badge with 2 Stars

Captain ----------------------------- Regular Auror (3rd Class) ----------------------------- Silver Badge with 3 Stars

Major ------------------------------ Regular Auror (2nd Class) ----------------------------- Silver Badge with 4 Stars

Lieutenant-Colonel ----------------- Regular Auror (1st Class) ------------------------------ Silver Badge with 5 Stars

Colonel ---------------------------- Senior Auror (5th Class; Death Tracker) --------------- Golden Badge with 1 Star

Brigadier --------------------------- Senior Auror (4th Class; Death Tracker) --------------- Golden Badge with 2 Stars

Major-General --------------------- Senior Auror (3rd Class; Death Tracker) -------------- Golden Badge with 3 Stars

Lieutenant-Genaral ----------------- Senior Auror (2nd Class; Death Tracker) -------------- Golden Badge with 4 Stars

General ---------------------------- Senior Auror (1st Class; Death Tracker) --------------- Golden Badge with 5 Stars

Field Marshal ---------------------- Grand Auror (Death Tracker) -------------------------- Platinum Badge with 6 Stars

* * *

**Muggle Ranks **--------------------- **Auror Ranks **--------------------------------------- **Auror Insignia**

Private ------------------------------- Private Auror ------------------------------------------- None

Lance Corporal ---------------------- Lance Auror ----------------------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (I)

Corporal ---------------------------- Corporal Auror (2nd Class) --------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (II)

Corporal ---------------------------- Corporal Auror (1st Class) ---------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (III)

Sergent ------------------------------ Sergeant Auror ---------------------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (IV)

Staff Sergent ------------------------- Staff Auror (2nd Class) ------------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (V)

Staff Sergent ------------------------- Staff Auror (1st Class) -------------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (VI)

Warrant Officer 2nd Class ----------- Warrant Auror (2nd Class) ---------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (VII)

Quartermaster Sergeant -------------- Quartermaster Auror (2nd Class) ---------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (VIII)

Quartermaster Sergeant -------------- Quartermaster Auror (1nd Class) ---------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (IX)

Warrant Officer 1st Class------------- Warrant Auror (1st Class) ----------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (X)

Conductor ---------------------------- Conductor Auror ------------------------------------- Aluminum Roman Numeral (XI)

* * *

**_A/N:_** That's it for the rank tables, for those who want the more elegant, table-style, file, please contact me via E-mail, and it will be sent in the for of word document attachement. The file contains comarison between auror army and UK & US army ranks.

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


	18. Part Two Teaser

**Part Two Teaser**

"Finally ... The Last of the Imps"

---------------------------------------------

"Hermione! Shut your eyes!"

---------------------------------------------

"You are next, Granger"

---------------------------------------------

"Who dares to disturb my slumber?"

---------------------------------------------

"_Offendo Maxima_"

---------------------------------------------

"Your puny tricks cannot work on me, Auror Potter"

---------------------------------------------

"_Vacuus_"

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Hope you like it, Chapter one is due soon enough

Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease


End file.
